Effective use Chinese troops at early stage of war

[sir_lovealot]

Hi...
as Allied, right now I'm actively use Chinese forces in fact it has made south pacific very quiet.

I transferred 120 thousands of idle chinese troops from Yunan, Kunming and Chungking to intervene in Burma.

The result is......
50,000 chinese troops from Yunan is able to 'encircle' jap's 33rd and 55th division at railroad/highways near Myitkyina.

The other 70,000 chinese troops from Kunming and Chunking are able to push back jap's 18th division from Mandalay and effectively shut the supply line for jap's 33rd and 55th division near Myitkyina. I'm able to push back the jap's 18th division toward Rangoon.

At Rangoon, they met up with 70,000 UK and Indian troops moving north from Akyab. With the combined force of nearly 140.000 troops I'm able to quickly recapture Rangoon at June 31st, 1942 by completely eliminating jap's 18th division,its 10,000 garrison and caught 88 bettys, 100 fighters and auxiliary planes at ground.

Based on the data from recon planes, the garrison of cities along Siam and Indochina shores is quite small, no more than 5000 for each cities. Fortunately, the road at Siam and Indochina is excellent for rapid blitzkrieg of my UK and Indian armored units.

My 150,000 UK, Indian, Burma and Chinese troops are now ready at Siam border.

I have the plan to completely recapture all of Siam and Indochina and free up the the chinese troops at Vietnam-China border for the offensive to recapture Canton and Hongkong. I calculate to be able to wield more than 200,000 troops for this offensive.

I think another reason of my success in Burma is the use of all 5 US carriers south of Java, I'm able to to sunk more than 200 jap's transports by raiding Palembang and intercept the invasion fleets.

Right now is July 5th,1942 and Java hasn't fallen yet.............

[Ron Saueracker]

Try it vs a human player....[;)]

[SaintEx]

I actually did precisely the same thing, with quite the same results, but even without the US carriers south of Java. It's currently August, and the British have all of Burma back, all of Siam, and are moving into the Malaysian peninsula.

It should be pointed out, though, that the AI has been extremely stupid about the whole thing, they didn't even try to break out of the encirclement (see my AAR).

In reality, Alexander did bring a number of Chinese divisions down to help in Burma, and then tried to get them out into India with him, but it was they, not the Japanese, who got cut off and destroyed.

[sir_lovealot]

Hmm.. I think to reconquest Malaya has small strategic value, except we are planning to recapture Dutch East Indies.

Due to its shape, Malaya is hard to defend. Defense in depth in virtually impossible. Japan may counterattack at any point he wants. This forces us to garrison every coastal bases at Malaya.

Just a waste of resources...

It is better to recapture Indochina, the most important base is Camranh bay. It is the arrival point of jap's replacement aircraft for South-East Asia area. It is also can be used for bomber bases to interdict japanese merchant shipping and also as the advance submarine resupply point. Beside the chinese troops at Vietnam-China border can be freed up and used elsewhere.

[SaintEx]

Good points. There are some counter-arguments though:

- From an historical point of view, it would be difficult to imagine the British not going after Singapore if they were at the head of the peninsula. I think the political pressure would be far too strong, particularly if the alternative is to go liberate some Vichy French colonies!

- Speaking of the Vichy French, you do activate those pesky Indochina divisions once you cross the border (quoique je doute qu'ils se seraient vraiment battu autant contre les Rosbifs, m'enfin...)

- Having just had the KB sail into the Indian ocean, it wouldn't be bad to control the straights and seal off my arrears

- I figure that capturing Singapore will cause massive Japanese ground losses, as well as provide a jumping off point to retake either Bornea or Java rather easily

I tell you what, though, why don't you go the Indochinese route and I'll go the Malaysian route, and we'll compare notes afterwards?

One last thing, though - it's certainly true what they say, the AI is mind-numbingly dumb. The KB's raid into the Indian ocean seems to have been limited to sinking an (empty) transport convoy that had just finished unloading at Victoria Point, then providing ground support for the troops on the peninsula. They could have steamed in and made an attempt to sink the British navy, or even invaded someplace tender and unguarded, like India. In the meantime, now that I know that the KB is way the heck over there, I've dispatched pretty much the entire US navy to wreak havoc in the Pacific. So the AI made a half-hearted move to use carriers to deal with a ground situation, while leaving me to sink anything afloat in Rabaul, Kwajeilin and Truk. In the meantime, the Chinese are battling for Canton on the way to HK. Oh well, at least I'm learning the logistics of it before facing a real opponent.

[sir_lovealot]

ORIGINAL: SaintEx


I tell you what, though, why don't you go the Indochinese route and I'll go the Malaysian route, and we'll compare notes afterwards?

Let's say....Chiang Kai sek agreed to lend several dozens of division, for the exchange he demands Churchill to priotize Indochina, to secure his southern flank...[;)]

anyway...
Good luck with Malaya..
Don't get cut off [:D] although I doubt it if AI can be that smart

We compare notes later.