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Ya gotta read carefully or you'll miss things. I posted just up above about the plan to hit his Formosa airfields when DS egresses towards Luzon.

I haven't done it already, only because I may need to save the bombardments for shore action at Amoy or Tsinkiang. Unlikely, but possible.

As for bringing AKEs, those couldn't replenish the BBs at Foochow, so I'd be expending a lot of energy and taking some risk for not much return.

Suppressing John's airfields is a priority. The biggest step forward is taking and building big bases on the nearby China coast. The second will be bombarding. The third is effective fighter sweeps and bombing raids.

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

Ya gotta read carefully or you'll miss things. I posted just up above about the plan to hit his Formosa airfields when DS egresses towards Luzon.

I haven't done it already, only because I may need to save the bombardments for shore action at Amoy or Tsinkiang. Unlikely, but possible.

As for bringing AKEs, those couldn't replenish the BBs at Foochow, so I'd be expending a lot of energy and taking some risk for not much return.

Suppressing John's airfields is a priority. The biggest step forward is taking and building big bases on the nearby China coast. The second will be bombarding. The third is effective fighter sweeps and bombing raids.

Nope, I read it.[;)]

I would be bombarding with heavy cruisers, light cruisers and destroyers. Wasn't clear. Wherever I want to sweep, would see a bombardment that night...some of those bases have nowhere for the planes to go once damaged, but to the scrapyard.

At some point will you need to suspend offensive expansion for, say, a month while you use your carriers to escort a massive shipment of supplies and fuel to the PI?

Second question: in the last map, you mentioned that you are a bit worried that supply from Foochow might trickle through the Chinese wilderness to some of the Chinese units to the north. Hypothetically, if that really happened, wouldn't it be mostly good news? Ultimately, isn't that what you want?

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

There are lots of reasons KB can be of good use in the DEI, no doubt. But this is no simulation, and John is indeed working hard on the Victory Point angle of the game (I suspect at the urging in tutelage of his readers).

In the war, the Allies don't move on Luzon or Formosa without triggering a banzai attack.

He's playing the game the way it was meant to be played. The VP's are there to give Japan a fighting chance. And it's working as designed in this game.

Speaking of which, the Allies are now within 100 points of Japan. There's a chance I'll pull ahead by the end of the month.

I get that. I just wonder if he can harvest enough VP down there while your forces are near poised to start bringing in loads of VP. Of course he had a goodly VP lead to hang onto as opposed to coming back from a deficit.

ORIGINAL: jwolf
Second question: in the last map, you mentioned that you are a bit worried that supply from Foochow might trickle through the Chinese wilderness to some of the Chinese units to the north. Hypothetically, if that really happened, wouldn't it be mostly good news? Ultimately, isn't that what you want?

To be avoided at all costs, it would be an unending supply drain with huge leakage.

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

7/29/44

Peep Show: No enemy interference today, as many more troops land. The combat units are spreading out. The engineers are making great progress on the airfield.

Tough fighter clashes over Formosa today, though only modest numbers involved, with the Allies coming out slightly ahead. The numbers themselves don't seem to be encouraging, yet I still feel pretty good about the situation overall. John will have a hard time prevailing if Formosa is surrounded by big Allied airfields in close proximity, and if his airfields are subject to bombardment by powerful TFs. We're just beginning the campaign, but I'm encouraged at this early date.

I agree that Ningpo is a bit too far. Better to keep your perimeter compact while DS heads off on the LOC revival mission.

I like the arc from Swatow to Foochow as a defensible enclave, but I don't know how much IJA John has in China. I hope your SIGINT and record keeping has the location of his major LCUs on the continent pegged.

My biggest concern would be that 100K supply. It sounds like a lot but combat can eat that in a week. I hope your supply flow can continue with DS gone back to fetch more.

From a military standpoint, I'm in a strong position to prosecute the war. Very strong.

From a gaming, victory point standpoint, I'm within 100 points of John, now. So we're basically even. John held the lead long enough that I'll have to work to achieve the 2:1 auto-victory ratio, but the empire is kinda broken apart and susceptible to Allied attacks.

Logistics and supply are key now. As soon as Peep Show positions (Amoy to Foochow) are secure, I'll detach Death Star to escort in more supply and reinforcement TFs. At the same time, or perhaps as a separate mission, DS will escort empty xAKs and xAPs to safety. I might sever the two parts just to minimize the length of any one DS absence.

Lowpe, the only reason I haven't used my combat TFs to bombard to this point is that I don't know what John might have in the way of combat ships. I don't want my combat TFs neutered. Most of my TFs will bombard on the way home, which will be sufficient under the plan currently in effect.

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

I agree that Ningpo is a bit too far. Better to keep your perimeter compact while DS heads off on the LOC revival mission.

Perhaps this is deception on CR's part? Perhaps the real target is Wusih or Tungchow on the river north of Shanghai? Chefoo, perhaps deep in the Yellow Sea? The mind boggles![:)]

The planning, execution, and timing of Foochow has simply been brilliant, I am awaiting eagerly the next operation.

Where is the Japanese Army in all this? All the artillery and tank regiments? Now, if Japan wants to attempt to close the beachhead, they will need over 3x the troops plus tons of supply. If they try to contain it., well there are a ton of hexes they will have to occupy in some force. If the concede it, well then how much of the Japanese Army are basically POWs, with a chance of fleshing out Chinese troops for a march to Manchuko?

So many options here...I would like to see a picture of the Yellow sea...my imagination is running away.[:D]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

Lowpe, the only reason I haven't used my combat TFs to bombard to this point is that I don't know what John might have in the way of combat ships. I don't want my combat TFs neutered. Most of my TFs will bombard on the way home, which will be sufficient under the plan currently in effect.

You are going easy on him, I knows it![:D]

Supply is the limiting factor. There are lots of options further up the Yellow Sea, but I scrubbed them as the wild-eyed fancies of somebody who doesn't understand the limitations of supply and logistics.

For that very reason, Peep Show is mainly oriented towards gaining good airfields and throwing a scare or panic into John, if he's so inclined. Of late it's also become about a comprehensive and complimentary way of taking on Formosa. These things require the amount of supply I currently have on hand. Future operations - the invasion of Formosa and a sustained strategic bombing campaign - will require additional supply.

Based upon what I've gleaned from other AARs and from you guys, strategic bombing is the most efficient way of scoring a lot of points. So I'll lean towards utilizing supply for that mission as opposed to fighting forward. Once supply gets pushed all the way to China, it needs to be conserved for bombing rather than trying to liberate China. (That said, I do want to push things a bit to keep John worried and to see what might develop.)

Another important aspect of the Allied endgame is to attend to important bases in the rear - Singapore, Port Moresby, Batavia, Soerabaja, Luganville and possibly Rabaul. Those operations are more efficient since they are closer to my main supply hubs. I have troops prepping for them (or already prepped). There will come a day, far in the future, when I'll detach Death Star or a representative percentage of it to attend to a series of amphibious ops in the DEI and SWPac. This will likely take place after the Formosa campaign (sooner if KB is beaten up).

Lots of fighting to come, but I have know where I want to go and when.

Is the Amoy-to-Foochow region close enough to Formosa to realistically sweep with Spitfire VIII's, assuming that they can stage there through Luzon or Indochina/China?

I don't know what the Spit pools look like, but from other AARs, I think they are stout enough to hold their own against the late-war Japanese fighters. I don't think they get much use that way normally due to a lack of range.

If you could get the RAF on the front lines, that might take some pressure off your T-bolt squadrons.

Mike

I was actually wondering that now that the Burma Road is open, were Chinese units fleshing out and building up? Chinese corps can be real beasts after they've been training for a few years and have their full TOE.

I assume you only turn on replacements for a few key units at a time. Which ones do you prioritize?

DRF

I was actually wondering that now that the Burma Road is open, were Chinese units fleshing out and building up?

I agree, massive amounts of supply to Rangoon will lead to the Chinese units upgrading to 1943 infantry. game over

I don't believe John's ever had to face late-war Chinese infantry....if not, he's in for a very big surprise.

I like to think of this as the "Hammer & Anvil" portion of the campaign.

I don't believe John's ever had to face late-war Chinese infantry....if not, he's in for a very big surprise

I asked this a while back and CR said some supply was getting to Rangoon but not massive amounts. Not sure if Port Blair LBA is the issue or it is a lack of ships. Once the supply gets to Rangoon you need to set up a string of HQ units to pull it forward. Takes a bit but it is unstoppable once it gets going

Haven't seen that area of the map in a while but I'm pretty sure that the supply draw route through Lashio is open.

There's a map a turn or two back (a page or two back). I'll post another tonight.

Ships are just beginning to reach Rangoon and unload supply in moderate amounts. The supply is working it's way forward into Thailand/Indochina and laterally into China. Already, bases in China are fully supplied that have never been supplied. At least two Chinese divisions have upgraded to '43 squads.

But we're just beginning. I've unloaded perhaps 30k supply at Rangoon over the last week. I don't have a lot of ships, and I have even fewer combat ships. John is going to strike here, so I'm keeping the TFs small to avoid too many eggs in a single basket.

But things are off to a promising start.

7/29/44

The Burma Road: See map for details.

The road is only open if you control the hex sides to the road west of Lashio - do you? I notice IJA units there, but maybe they don't control the hex sides that the road passes through.

You are also very close to opening up a grey road route through Indochina... we know Vinh is weak, because you took it a while back, so forts there can't be all that high if any at all. Once you take Vinh, Hanoi, Lang Son, Nanning, and Liuchow... the hose turns on.

It's not a firehose or anything, but it's at least a garden hose compared to the watering can you've had up until now.

7/29/44

Burma Road: See map for details.