Help needed, Burma front is collapsing!!!

[PJJ]

I'm playing as the Allies (PBEM), scen 16. It is the last week of February 1942, and I'm losing the war in Burma! Singapore fell 2 weeks earlier than historically, Rangoon 2 weeks after that and now I'm desperately trying to build a defensive line along the river that runs south of Mandalay (Irrawaddy?).

Is it at all possible to stop the Japanese? The Allied troops in Burma are useless, brigades and 'divisions'(imo, a unit with 3000 men is hardly worth the title!) are practically devastated after they lose one battle. How can I do anything with these troops?!

Don't the Japanese ever get tired? Don't they have any problems at all supplying their troops in Burma? I have a feeling that everything is happening far too quickly and easily with land warfare in WitP. (Or then I'm just a lousy player - a more probable choice!)

I'm starting to become desparate with the situation. I guess the Japanese jungle Blitzkrieg will soon be in India! I do have some reserves along the Indian coast & Ceylon, but knowing my opponent, if I withdraw them, he will immediately invade.

He agreed to play as the Japanese to give me a better chance, but it didn't help much!!! [:@]

[Central Blue]

PJJ...

if Japan wants Burma, Japan takes Burma. You need to fall back to Imphal-Kohima-Ledo and let him operate on supply lines stretching through the long jungle trails.

[Hard Sarge]

Well advice in a PBEM game is not right

but would say, Airpower, bomb em, in a AI game, they will get tired out and change over to bombardment attacks, a human will just keep on attacking, but the odds will start to change

other then that, good luck

HARD_Sarge

[Caranorn]

To make it short and less painfull.

Land Combat is indeed broken in WitP. It's particularly easy to notice in the malay and Burma campaigns as well as obviously Hong Kong. Simply put, combat is much too fast, and movement a bit too fast.

I don't have any advice on how to defend Burma though, particularly for PBEM. By the way, I believe those small divisions do indeed just represent single brigades but allow you to build back their parent divisions (the entire divisions are spread out, with one of the brigades using the division ID and TOE).

Marc aka Caran...

[WiTP_Dude]

Losing Burma is simply not a big deal. It will become a big headache for the Japanese in future years. India is still safe as long as you don't do anything foolish like committing your entire force to the defense of Mandalay.

[John B]

Build up your defences along the Imphal-Kohima-Ledo line. I've played the early part of 1942 twice so far. Both times the Japs have overrun Singapore, Rangoon and Mandalay well ahead of historical schedule, but both times they have run out of steam soon afterwards, and got involved in the DEI. Its also worth leaving an expendable brigade or two forward of your main line. The Japs make pretty heavy weather of dealing with them, and it buys you more time to push up reinforcements from the units landing at Karachi.

Also put your Hurricane and Mohawk squadrons in Imphal, Kohima and Dacca. By mid 1942 the Jap air force is going to start bombing raids on them, and by about mid-August, your aircraft will have a definite edge and can start scoring points by knocking them down.

[esteban]

Move your Chinese Southeast Asia Command divisions dow towards Myitikina and Ledo, if you haven't already. They can help. Leave one or two in Yunan to protect the base there from partatroopers.

If you leave these units in China, you can't get them replacements very well, since they are pretty far from the SEAC HQ.

[PJJ]

OK, it seems the best thing to do is to abandon the Mandalay area ASAP. I don't want to lose all of my units trying to hold it. However, since the units are *so* weak, I doubt they'll be able to stop the Japanese even near Imphal, as a one good Jap division seems to be able to beat several British/Indian brigades or divisions in Burma.

And the High command is not very generous with reinforcements in India...guess they don't want to give me any new troops for slaughtering! [:D] I don't need any new BB's, I need infantry!
Otherwise the King must soon say goodbye to his empire in Asia...

Anyway, thanks for the help...if I manage to lose the war as the Allies, I'll let you know! [:D]

[Theng]

You should get a two or three UK Divisions which are plenty to blunt the Japanese assault when they try to get into India. Also use the Chinese divisions to come down from China threatening the two nothern towns in Burma. Remember the Japanese have only 4 or 5 divisions in the Burma theater, which cannot be everywhere. You have enough troops to stall his advance and create some thrust somewhere else, which can get him into serious problems. If he's pushing through on the coast, take Akyab with an amphibious assault and then come down from China. The Japanese have bigger problems than you have in a few months.

[Rob322]

You mentioned 3000 troops doesn't seem like much of a division but even full strength US divisions aren't going to have 14,000 front line troops, they'll have something like 4,000 infantry and 10,000 second line (all those guys in the rear). Also Chinese "Divisions" really are brigades so you should send several. Chinese "Corps" are the rough equivalent to Japanese and Western divisions, at lest in terms of size.

Also remember the Chinese have to get there via trail so they will be slow. I learned this to my regret in my first solo game, now I start them out on December 8th.

[PJJ]

ORIGINAL: Rob322

You mentioned 3000 troops doesn't seem like much of a division but even full strength US divisions aren't going to have 14,000 front line troops, they'll have something like 4,000 infantry and 10,000 second line (all those guys in the rear).

Oh, if only I had divisions with 3000 fighting men in Burma! But these so-called divisions have about 3-4000 men in TOTAL, so that's about 1000 frontline troops and 2000+ rear area guys. It's pretty hard to try to stop a full-strength Jap Inf Div with these! [:D]

[mogami]

Hi, Retreat from where you can't hold to a line you can defend. The farther back you retreat the closer to your supply you get and the further the Japanese supply line is stretched. Use you airgroups to attack his units.
Don't panic.

[Nikademus]

Doesn't anyone keep a Hitchhiker's guide to the universe handy? [;)]

[DrewMatrix]

Doesn't anyone keep a Hitchhiker's guide to the universe handy

And a towel. Never go anywhere without your towel.

[PeteG662]

The answer is 42

[Nikademus]

uoiu1oj oijo ttyy ooiivsoo mommos mooop?

[KPAX]

ORIGINAL: esteban

Move your Chinese Southeast Asia Command divisions dow towards Myitikina and Ledo, if you haven't already. They can help. Leave one or two in Yunan to protect the base there from partatroopers.

If you leave these units in China, you can't get them replacements very well, since they are pretty far from the SEAC HQ.

I thought that there was some restrictions on moving troops as an Allied from China to Burna ?


Is there a restirction for Japan miving China troops to Burma ?

[tsimmonds]

I thought that there was some restrictions on moving troops as an Allied from China to Burna ?


Is there a restirction for Japan miving China troops to Burma ?

Move 'em anyplace you like, you just can't load them onto ships or planes.

[dr. smith]

ORIGINAL: KPAX

ORIGINAL: esteban

Move your Chinese Southeast Asia Command divisions dow towards Myitikina and Ledo, if you haven't already. They can help. Leave one or two in Yunan to protect the base there from partatroopers.

If you leave these units in China, you can't get them replacements very well, since they are pretty far from the SEAC HQ.

I thought that there was some restrictions on moving troops as an Allied from China to Burna ?

There are 9 Chinese Army Divisions in Southeast Asia command, as opposed to China Command, all located at Yunan. They each have an Assault value of 72-79, so should be of some help, Yunan is 4 hexes via trail from either Lashio or Mytikyina, so get them moving ASAP.

No need to leave any Southeast Asia comamnd units in Yunan, there are plenty of China Command units there already.

[Mike Scholl]

ORIGINAL: Mogami

Hi, Retreat from where you can't hold to a line you can defend. The farther back you retreat the closer to your supply you get and the further the Japanese supply line is stretched. Use you airgroups to attack his units.
Don't panic.

Mogami's right..., but it also sounds as if you botched the Malayan Campaign pretty
badly. Did you try to hold every hex?? Or did everyone not engaged "beat feet"
for Singapore right off the bat? The secons alternative seems to produce a more
demanding campaign for the Japanese..., especially if you can run in some supply
in the early going. Sucking Japanese resources into Malaya seems to put the Burma
effort on hold.