Wild idea about bases.

[Ricochet]

There has been much discussion about the limited amount of space available for LCUs, and discussion about house rules limiting operations in China and Korea. So...

Why not just 'nix' the Nationalist China forces and bases. The land path would end at Kunming, with this base existing just to provide an airbase for American bombers. The Chinese and Korean coastal bases would still be needed. The Chinese forces present in the south of China - Kunming - would still be needed, but the rest of China, and the landlocked Japanese owned bases, along with the forces present at these bases would be deleted. The coastal bases would have the expected land and air forces. This would free up about 10 LCU slots for each side.

The loss of bases for each side should balance the points numbers. The IJA land and air units which are released for service out of China can appear at Shanghai at the appropriate time.

I haven't heard anyone comment about 'thrilling' events in China; so it won't be missed. The major decisions in the Pacific conflict didn't involve Chinese forces, or the Japanese forces opposing them.

It's an idea, so what do you think.

Talking about bases, the land path between Palembang and Medan has always bothered me. A 700 mile expressway through jungle and muck; why not eliminate this land path?

[sulup]

This is quite a good idea!

Actually, a long time ago I remebered deleting Mukden base and renameing Harbin to Manchuria. Deleting paths to chinese bases would prevent the IJA from goin anywhere...

As for Palembang to Medan, pretty long path isn't it. I also believe the land paths in Australia is a bit far too. You'd be travelling through rock and desert in some of the Australian land paths.

[Drex]

I like the idea of deleting the China theater.I usually put it on computer control anyway. The long overland paths though, offer an another way of moving your troops- a less desirable way as an overland march of this kind severely affects the readiness of the LCU by the time they reach their destination. But if you don't have transports then its the only way. I usually move the Aussie units up the coast overland base by base because I'm using my transports to man the Solomon Islands.

[Ricochet]

The land paths in Australia are necessary. Australia had enough transportation infrastructure to warrant land links throughout the continent.

I haven't seen many detailed maps of 1940s East Indies; detailed enough to show roads and railroads. My recollections are that Mataya and Java had some transportation links, The P.I. had fewer, and Borneo even fewer yet. Allowances should be made for small coastal shipping capability; which wouldn't show up at PacWar scale. Thats why all of the land links in northern New Guinea make sense. This shipping, usually less than 1,000 tons each, could move in coastal areas, and keep land units supplied. Java was developed extensively by the Dutch so its links make sense.

The link between Menando and the 'other' base on Celebes has always bothered me. I've rationalized it by the coastal shipping rationale.