The Accidental War Obvert vs Lowpe

[Lowpe]

Yep. Lightnings sweep Palembang inflicting grievous losses followed by the 4E bombers going after Japan's industry.

[Lowpe]

Soviets are active...their subs nail a few xak that were headed for port near Hokkaido.

Soviets capture their first Japanese base automatically.

Night bombing hits the runways destroying a few planes, daytime bombers avoid my fighters and score some industry hits.

And then a paratroop drop...Karafuto Brigade had just arrived hours before so disaster avoided.

[Lowpe]

Soviet movement ticks started showing up all over. To say it is serious trouble would be an understatement.[X(]

[Lowpe]

Another missed opportunity.

Another squadron of Bettys make their run, miss and then are shredded by LRCAP. 10 or so Vals blunder into them without CAP and die. In another blunder some 2E bombers don't cancel their bombing runs from yesterday and are shredded.

Our sweeps of Singers goes great, but only a handful of Buffaloes are there.

Very difficult days I fear.

[Lowpe]

Well, the lolly gaggers and slackers at Mudken will leave, at least some of them today.[:)]

[Lowpe]

I feel bad about the Sallies, my bad there, but the others were all good losses.

[Lowpe]

Tough day for the merchant marine.

[Lowpe]

A poser. Going to have to really put on the thinking cap for situation.[;)]

[Aurorus]

A pro-tip. If you change the 5th fleet bases, most importantly Toyahara, Skikuka, and Etorofu to "General Defense," you can air transport several of the restricted fully-air mobile light infantry brigades on Honshu there. To do this, you want to use the Theresas (which are otherwise useless, except as trainers). In general, the game engine only allows you to air transport restricted units if there are no illegal bases within range of the transports. Because the Theresas only have a 4-hex range maximum, they open up the possibility of air transport of restricted units to Toyahara and Etorofu from Hokkaido where it otherwise would not exist. For some reason, not every restricted brigade on Honshu can be moved in this way. The 64th, 67th, and 63rd, if I recall correctly, can be, however. A little experimentation may be needed. Simply strat move them to Ominata, air-lift them with Theresas to Hokkaido; then do a second hop to Toyahara. This typically requires that you expand the airfield at Wakkanai to level 2.

For your future games, I recommend getting the Theresas back to Honshu ASAP and using them in this manner to fill out the defenses in the northern Home Islands beginning in December 1941. This is typically what I do. What was it that Lowpe once said? "Every plane has a use."

[Lokasenna]

Where are your paratroops? Several of those middle Soviet bases begin with little to nothing in the way of defense.

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna

Where are your paratroops? Several of those middle Soviet bases begin with little to nothing in the way of defense.

Not on the Soviet border, silly! Do you think I planned this?

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: Aurorus

If you change the 5th fleet bases,

Well, I need political points and assault value at the base to be able to change it.

Theresas' has been incredibly busy ferrying troops in Burma. They are not slackers, and will not make it to the Home Islands anytime soon.

[Lowpe]

Those cowardly ABDA dogs are retreating!

I am going to pound Singers into the ground with battleships...hopefully they steer clear of the industry and port, but I kind of think there will be some incidental damage.[:D]

Canton has some AA from the base force...and suddenly there is nowhere near enough AA. Well, really everything is in short supply. This game is a definite one you don't want to try at home.[;)]

[Lowpe]

Today is the day I will make wholesale changes to my plane r&d...

out the window is every plane that comes later than the Sam.

I am still going to short the Oscar...which would be a useful plane.

[Lowpe]

The north pacific...

[PaxMondo]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

Starting moves...expand vehicle production...currently at 213. I am thinking of going to 300. Perhaps 400 even.[X(]
I will start small, and increased only 1 point across all factories today and there are only 6 of them.

You have the chance to capture several AC factories which convert to ARM factories. I would not expand too fast until you have those ...

[PaxMondo]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

Today is the day I will make wholesale changes to my plane r&d...

out the window is every plane that comes later than the Sam.

I am still going to short the Oscar...which would be a useful plane.

Probably a good idea ... Shinden is maybe the only one I would salvage ... otherwise agreed.

Other thoughts, use as you see fit:
You need Frank and George really fast.
Given you are fighting mostly in CHI and SOV, Tojo can actually work as there are a lot of bases. 6/8 hex range works.
You will need FAR more Helen than normal. you have a long grinder of a war is asia. you will need to build both Sallys also a lot more until Helen shows up.
Pilot training is going to be replaced by "on the job" ... particularly for your bomber pilots. cherry pick places from your 35 exp/50 skill pilots can work and not die too fast.

This means a lot more Ha-34, Ha-32 than normal. I would prolly forgo RnD on Jill/Judy (build when they appear of course) get a lot of RnD on Frank/George. 15x30 each? Something like that.
don't know about IJN group sizes, but I would also consider beaching a lot of groups ... A6M is the best fighter on the map for at least the next 6 months. You want them in heavy use ....

[Alfred]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

A poser. Going to have to really put on the thinking cap for situation.[;)]

Who said it was important to fight the Soviets here?

As a great leader once said, "he who defends everything defends nothing".

No one ever has all the assets to do everything. Everything needs to ranked in a priority order. I don't see anything about the Japanese territory bordering the Trans-Siberian railway as qualifying to be essential. But even if it were "essential" there are different gradations of "essential". Consider three hypothetical bases

• one contains two separate aircraft facilities which are currently producing your best fighter which equips 75% of your fighter units
• another contains two separate aircraft R&D facilities researching two different models which will not become available until January 1945 at the earliest and then will only equip at most 5% of your air units
• the third contains 100 Resource and 100 Light Industry Centres

Obviously all three bases are "essential" but not equally so. Depending on the current war situation either the R&D base or the supply generation base would be a candidate for sacrifice if there are not sufficient assets to defend all three.

Circumstances are often found where one can even sacrifice a definite "essential" location (such as the base with the current aircraft production) because you are striking at an enemy position which is even more essential. It is important to remember that what makes a position "essential" is not determined solely on utility to yourself but also the utility it provides to the enemy. Capturing the two Soviet bases on Sakhlin Island is of far greater importance than holding solid the Trans-Siberian border.

Alfred

[Lowpe]

Thanks, Alfred. [&o] That mirrors my thinking in that a lot of this terrain is a time delay...

Working very hard to finish the turn today...but there are sooo many clicks.[;)]

[Lowpe]

Sakhalin....a very important island right now.