Sveint v Andy - The Battle of JAVA Allied Side

[Jim D Burns]

It appears he's put almost everything he’s got into a single powerful thrust down the center of the island. I doubt he'll invade with much more than brigade strength if at all in other areas.

I'd say meet him with everything you can muster in the best fortified inland chokepoint you have and hope it stops him. If not then you're doomed. The way WitP land combat works, defeat is inevitable if he's managed to achieve 2-1 odds on you on the island. No matter what you do he'll win, so try to bottle him up with everything you have. Sending your units in piecemeal while defending against non-planned invasions in the rear will simply speed up his ability to destroy you.

I’d leave a few battalions or brigades at rear area bases and throw everything else at his juggernaut.

Jim

[Andy Mac]

Almost everything I have is concentrating at Djojakarta behind lvl 6 forts I have 150,000 men and over 1800 AP's.

My air is harrassing him round the clock.

I guess he is 2 or 3 days from attacking.

and he will have 9 IJA Divisions leading the attack. BUT they must be at least slightly disrupted by now following there long march south through Malaria infested jungles and I do have plenty of supplies in south of island to try and hold on with.

Andy

[Andy Mac]

OK Guys an update

I am holding hin at Djojakarta and a fall back position is being prepared at Madion.

I managed to hold him on his first attack but lost a level of forts to Lvl 5.

I cannot hold him that is now crystal clear but I can delay.

I am using air to evac as much as I can from Soerbijou but this will not be much.

My best bet is a fighting retreat to soerbijou where at a a large base behind lvl 9 forts I have a chance to fight it out for a while.

It is now 10th May 1942.

General Alexander reports that he may be able to hold Djojakarta until May 15th if I plan for a retreat on or about the 15th back to Madion I expect to hold Madion until the 22nd at this point the IJA will either Flank me via Kragen or shock attack to try and bounce me out of the Madion defences.

The Key thing that must be prevented at all costs is a rout from the Djojakarta defences.

General Alexander has been given permission to retreat if the defences fall below level 4 as the risk of a rout becomes to much at this point.

My only hope is to dig in at Soerbijou and hold on for dear life.

Andy

[Andy Mac]

The USN has agreed to commit a 3 CV Task Force to try and force a supply convoy through to Soerbijou.

All plans to further reinforce Java have been scrapped.

Andy

[Andy Mac]

OK the forts are now lvl 4 at Djojakarta.

I have withdrawn most of my army back to Madion which has lvl 5 forts.

I do not intend to stand there for long.

I am going to try and fight at Soerbijou which has lvl 9 Forts.

Unfortunately for some unknown and stoopid reason 100k out of 150k supplies on Java have just arrived at Djojakarta on the turn that I abandon the base.

I will be shooting every Admin Staff Member.

My BGS will be bayoneted to death as will everyone associated with this decision. Communications were passed to all departments indicating that a fighting withdrawal was planned so why in the HELL did my staff stockpoile all the ammo at a base I was about to abandon.

Heads will roll....

[Andy Mac]

OK we are now at the 15th May.

What has happened so far...

Following initial bombardments in late March and landings on the 27th March the IJA have managed to steamroller thier way down Java in one concentrated thrust supported by bombardments.

It has been a model of concentrated effort by the IJA.

Well done to Sveint.

I tried to stand at Batavia but by not committing 100% all I achieved was to get my army defeated in detail ( A stupid error)

I then tried to stand below Batavia in the jungle and once again got defeated in detail.

At that point I made my decision to retreat to the South abandoning the north.

Sveint had spent two weeks landing building up then driving to Batavia.

I withdrew through Badoeng leaving dehind rearguards to slow him down until I reached Djojakarta and its lvl 6 forts.

I set myself a limit that when the forts hit 4 I would withdraw to avoid getting my Army mauled any further.

Unfortunately my BGS and Logistics command didnt get the memo and as I withdrew from Djojakarta to Madion my supplies were shipped forward leaving only 40k tons of munitions and beans in the main bases to the south.

Given this screw up I made the hard decision to continue the withdrawal all the way to Soerbijou which is a large base with lvl 9 forts.

Hopefully my units will recover disruption and behind the massive forts can hold on for a while.

I still have 200k troops on Java but only 20k supplies so this will be a hard fight and I will need to find supplies from somewhere if I want resistance to continue.

I have had to evac the allied medium and heavy airforces as they will use to many of my limited supplies.

In fact everytrhing but Fighters and a few Torpedo planes will be withdrawn over the next few days as I cannot supply the army and an airforce in Soerbijou.

In the meantime the IJN have began to land forces at Malang this is annoying

Overall what have been my mistakes.

1. Getting defeated in detail North Java.
2. No realising that 100k of supplies would be shipped forward
3. Fighting for Java

I am not sure about 3 I stil maintain it is a viable tactic but the overwhelming nature of Sveints invasion made resistance futile.

9 IJN Divisions is a lot of firepower....

I will fight on and try to evac some units every supply ship I fight through will leave with Support troops as I will have far to many REMF on Java that are useless now. i.e. My 2 x Air HQs 2 x Command HQ's, 30 + Engineering/ Aviation Regts etc.

These are just toothless VP'sand I will try to evac as many as I can without compromising the defence of Soerbijou.

Andy
(Formerly the Allied C IN C JAVA - Now Sacked !!!)

[Andy Mac]

2 weeks have passed and I have managed to evacuate 50,000 men from Java leaving 150,000 at soerbaja behind level 6 forts. I still have 150 fighters at that base so enemy air has been muted around south Java.

He has 9 - 10 Divisons in the line against me and is steadily reducing forts.

My single ship AK's have brought in enough supplies that I am back up to 16k.

Each ship that comes in leaves with surplus support and HQ troops.

The fighters stay where they are and fight to the death. I need to hold Koepang on Timor to allow my air units to evac when the time comes.

The US CV force awaits an IJN thrust at Soerbaja but actually the IJA doesnt need any help within 2 weeks the forts will be gone and Java will have fallen.

Andy