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Sounds like you have a plan. The trouble is time to get enough troops for a major push this early around Tuyun. Sounds like you are accomplishing your goal of sucking Chinese units towards Changsha. Probably best, as you said, to hold off tipping your hand towards Tuyun prior to being able to exploit any surprise. I agree, go with your plan and see how things first develop. The more he's moving around the more opportunities you'll have for a penetration somewhere.

February 25th, 1942

China

East of Sian, the enemy seems to be yielding to pressure. Raw Chinese AV went from 1820 yesterday to 1600 today, but adjusted went from 1600 to 920. Odds are still 1:1 but Chinese losses are increasing (45 squad destroyed, 450 disabled, for 15 lost and 280 disabled on my side). My troops are disrupted, so I will only bombard tomorrow (but I still have a lot of artillery). Reinforcements are two days away. I have good hopes of clearing this pocket before the end of the month.

Around Changsha, two attacks went less smoothly. My column from Kanhsien met equivalent numbers (one corps, vs one IJA regiment and two battalions). Damage was low on both sides. Between Nanchang and Changsha, one division fought three corps, again to little effect.

This reconnaissance in force suits me fine: my opponent seems to be buying the idea the Changsha is the next target, and is concentrating there. I will retreat a little (there is no need to expose my troops to some attempts at counterattack), but keep some forces in the area. A next step will probably to recon a lot, and then bomb from the air. Once Wenchow falls (some time in March?), I want to feint in this direction. The goal is to encourage enemy concentration in Hunan, to make an early offensive against Tuyun possible…

Indies

A first attack in Banjoewangi reduced the forts from two to one. The enemy has two infantry battalions and a base force, with an opmode minus suggesting hasty reinforcements. A tank regiment from Macassar landed today, the infantry group is probably two days away, the defenders are outnumbered 5:2, I guess we have a beachhead…

In Palembang, another deliberate attack killed a few more squads, routine, routine… A guard regiment is on its way.

My troops in Singapore are supplied at last. I’m attacking tomorrow, for the first time since Valentine Day. Disruption and fatigue are very low, I have 3400 AV against, about 1000 enemies, forts will be three, perhaps four. We shall see.

Mindanao at last

Malaybalay fell at last. Fresh reinforcements made the difference. Those battles in the jungle are strange. Yesterday, the enemy resisted pretty well, all of a sudden, it not only breaks, but all the defenders (seven units and about five hundred squads) surrender.

Mindanao is now cleared, except for Zamboaga, at the western tip of the island. Apart from Clark Field, where I intend to wait, all the Philippines are mine, except a small number of bases, held by Philippine troops.

I have about 600 AV on Mindanao, and am now wondering what to do with them. If I understood correctly, the Japanese amphibious landing bonus ends at the end of March (or is it the end of April? Anyone knows?) Should I use those troops to mop up the Philippines, or shall I start another invasion?

Right now, the only place I am seriously considering is northern Australia… I will wait a few days, see what happens in Singapore, and need to begin thinking about “phase 2”.

My idea, right now, is that, since I will probably end up with a broken Palembang, and since I’m obviously quite incompetent with ships, I would better go for a small, almost historical perimeter. Apart from Java and Sumatra, I’d like to have the Coco Islands, Horn Island, and a few buffer bases in Northern Australia. Expansions towards the New Hebrides, Noumea or Fiji seem pointless: lots of work for something which cannot be held. I would be interested in the Aleutians, though…

The idea would be to be done or mostly done with the conquest by May 42, and start building, a costly defence. The main goal being to make the allied reconquest slow and painful.

February 26-28th, 1942

As February is ending, I have quite a few reinforcements waiting in Japan, together with brand new air squadrons (including Nicks and Helens arrived on the 28th…) but I am mostly settling current accounts, before embarking on a new phase.

The pocket in Sian

The defenders are collapsing. On the 26th, raw AV was 1350 (vs 1600 the day before). Troops from Taiyuan arrived on the 27th, a deliberate attack managed 2:1 odds, destroyed 25 squads, and disabled 500 more. Raw AV were 1350, adjusted AV 790. On the 28th, another deliberate attack achieved 6:1 odds. Enemy raw AV was 1130, adjusted 270… 200 squads were destroyed, and 400 disabled. Eighteen units, ten corps, six HQ and two bases forces are in the hex, and will be forced to surrender. By the way adjusted AV is collapsing, this should not take long.

After, the troop will march on Sian. Since I need about two weeks to get into position, the battle for Sian will probably begin in late March. Long term projects for China will be discussed in a future post, but the general idea is to clear the Sian-Lanchow corridor before turning south towards Sichuan. The delay will help make the supply situation worse, and clearing enemy troops in northern China will prevent raids on my lines of communication.

Further West, the battle for Urumchi has begun. Two deliberate attacks failed to reduce the forts, causing light casualties on both sides. I am preparing for a long siege, Yenan style.


The other pocket

In Wenchow, a first deliberate attack reduced the forts to level one. The enemy is unsupplied, and has 1600 AV against, 2000 Japanese. I expect the siege to last several weeks, a month, perhaps.

In Nanning, an additional Vietnamese militia regiment failed to tilt the balance. Reinforcements will be sent, but this is good training for my Vietnamese troops, anyway (I intend to use them to defend my bases in South China).

In Vietnam, the 64th Chinese corps that used to defend Pakhoi has taken position between Hanoi and Lang Song. The amphibious brigade, stationed in Cam Ranh, has been ordered to Hanoi. It will first chase the 64th, and then proceed towards Nanning.

Singapore

A first deliberate attack, on the 26th, reduced the forts from three to two. I was a bit worried by the fortification levels, but it seems my opponent did not invest there as much as I thought. A second attack, on the 28th further reduced them to level one. However, the enemy has enough engineers in the base to keep the forts between 1 and 2. This is the best I can do.

In terms of casualties, the first attack destroyed 100 enemy squads and disabled 600, for 50/600 on the Japanese side. This is costly, but goes in the right direction. The second battle achieved slightly better odds (though still 1:2), and destroyed 100 more enemy squads, disabling 400, against 20/600.

Fatigue is mounting fast, and I need to rest several days. But I believe we are in a good position. A fresh division is on its way, just in case.

In Palembang, a brigade, and more supplies, arrived on the 28th. I will probably resume attacking around on the second or third of March.

In Burma, Warazup, the last enemy base, fell on the 28th. All the country is now occupied. The enemy is nicely waiting for me on the Ledo line. This is fine, since I am very thin on the ground.

Java

Banjoewangi fell on the 26th. I now have almost 500 AV on the island, moving west. The very good railroad network allows the enemy to quickly reinforce the front. I need to move fast.

I have an infantry group and a tank regiment in the mountains west of Banjoewangi, facing the remnants of the garrison. I will try to shock attack with the infantry, while allowing the tanks to pursue. An infantry regiment should arrive in the hex tomorrow. If this works, I should hold the eastern tip of Java (the Loemadjang and Probolinggo line) by the middle of next week. The enemy will probably try to make a stand in Malang, but such a forward defense is a dangerous gamble, since it opens an opportunity for a second landing in Tjepoe or Semarang.

Reinforcements are on their way. A first batch of troops from Mindanao are sailing to Banjoewangi. Two more regiments are waiting for transports in Calayan. Altogether, I should be able to have about 1200 AV on Java in a couple of weeks. The decision to land a second force west of Surabaya will depend on what the enemy brings to the Malang picnic...

In the region, small bases are being captured. Two naval guards units will land in Pamekasan in a few days. Nells from Koepang destroyed three Japanese cargoes, off Broome, on the 28th.

In New Guinea, Port Moresby was attacked twice. My troops are not sufficient to take the base, I need to reinforce.

Odds and ends

Victory points are 9374 to 8876. Over the last two months, Japanese VP have been progressing by 63 points per day, on average, whereas allied VP have remained stable.

Barring a major carrier battle (an unlikely opportunity) the only brutal changes in VP will result from the capture of Batavia, Singapore and Clark Field, that will reduce the Allied total by 2800 (they have less influence on the Japanese total).

If those trends continues throughout 1942, Allies VP total could stabilize somewhere between 6000 and 6500, whereas Japanese total could reach 17000 by the end of June, and 28000 by the end of December. This means auto-victory is a far cry, but not an impossible goal.

How do I try to get there?

Bases points represent half my VP total. Building infrastructure, especially airfields, in conquered territories is the way to improve this. I need to better use my engineers. This is a complex choice : I need engineers both to build forts, and front line defenses, and to build airfields in conquered areas, to get VP. A scavenger hunt for engineer units is about to begin…

Ground combat is my main VP earner… Right now, they represent about 30% of my VP, but, more importantly, odds are 10:1 in my favor. I must go on destroying enemy units.

In term of VP, naval losses and especially air losses are problems. Naval loss ratio is about 2:1, air ratio less than 1:1. I need to be very prudent with my ships and planes… This bring back a question that has been nagging me for a while… Since I am preparing for a continental war, and since I am not planning to use my navy a lot, should I keep building warships? Do I need those big BB, those CV and CVL? Or should I just cancel them, considering that they mean points for the enemy when they are sunk, and HI expenses for me.

I understand this way of thinking is not conventional, but I don’t think it is gamey either. Since my strategic plans focuses on the continent, and a small perimeter in the Pacific, it seems logical to consider cutting naval production, and devoting resources to other parts of the industry.

I will discuss this in more details later, but I would be very interested to hear reactions on the subject…

Since the beginning of this campaign, we have been using beta 1108c. At the time, we thought the land radar and search arc corrections were worth the risk of using a beta. Over time, this version proved quite robust, and we did not feel the need to upgrade.

Last week end, we decided to install 1108m5… It was love at first sight… until I tried to load my new turn into Tracker. First there was an ugly message (can’t read the turn format, or something like it). A bit of reading on the T-Thread made it go away, but the turn still refused to load…

Now, call me a Japwimp if you will, reader, but the idea of proceeding with a dysfunctional Tracker was too much for me, and my opponent graciously accepted that we replay the turn. So, this is March1st v2.0. Fortunately, the second version was a little better for the Allies than the first, somehow, the engine was fair on my opponent.

We’ll try to upgrade next week, or the week after…

March first 1942

To starboard, wait, I meant port…

In Palembang, the task force that unloaded a guard regiment yesterday was ordered to return today, under cover of the night. What actually happened is unclear. Maybe the captain of the transport wanted to watch the sun rise on the devastated oilfields, perhaps he got lost in the channel, and went upstream instead of sailing towards the sea… Anyway, he met the coastal defences, and probably his doom… The Hakusan Maru isn’t sunk yet, but I very much doubt she’ll make it to safety.

My troops are safe. They will rest one more day and attack again. I have now over 700 AV, against 150 enemies. I would love to say it is a matter of days, but I have said that so many times before.

We shall see…

Up Java

Our shock attack in the mountains west of Banjoewangi went according to plan. The enemy was routed and retreated towards Loemadjang, pursued by a tank regiment. Dutch reinforcements are arriving, but intelligence only reports small units. It seems most of the enemy forces were around Batavia. I doubt they give me enough time to reach Surabaya, but this delay is very helpful.

In Pamekasan, two SNLF Battalions landed. Intelligence reports a Dutch regiment. I will bombard tomorrow to know what I am facing.

I am satisfied with this operation so far. The beachhead is established, the enemy does not seem to have been anticipating landings in the western part of the island. Reinforcements from Mindanao are a week away, and Japanese planes rule in the area.

Another day in China

East of Sian, another attack destroyed over 200 enemy squads, and disabled 400. Enemy AV were around 920, adjusted to 200, and the attack went at 7:1. My troops are exhausted. I will bombard tomorrow, and attack the day after. This is the end.

In Wenchow, another deliberate attack reduced the forts to zero, in exchange for 500 disabled squads. I will try again in two days, but if the trend does not change I will need to wait for a while, until my troops are rested, and enemy supplies are low.

Those naughty battleships

Remember last month, when USS California magically appeared in the sunk list? Well, there were two more today : West Virginia and Nevada, reported sunk close to Pearl Harbor. Now, I can understand one damaged ship sinking while sailing from Hawaii to the West Coast, and being spotted by an odd Glen in the area, but three??? The fog of war is weird, sometimes…

Of course, I would welcome this piece of news, which suggests five out of the eight prewar battleships are out of the game… But it seems a little too good to be true, eh?



February roundup

February 1942 was a slow month. In the Dutch Indies, most of it was spent reinforcing Singapore and Palembang, mopping the small islands around Koepang, and capturing all of Burma. In China, pockets were created in Wenchow and Sian, the north west was cleared of enemy presence (in Yenan, Taiyuan, and all bases to Urumchi), a few bases were captured in the South.

Yet, prospects are good. Palembang is yielding, I have a beachhead on Java, Port Moresby is invaded (although its capture might take a while). In China, the Sian pocket is about to fall, allowing for a move towards Sian, and then Lanchow. The big question is Singapore. It will fall, no doubt about it, but I have no idea of how much time this will take.

Ship losses were extremely low. Seven for Japan, and thirteen for the Allies. Air losses went down, from 450 in December, to 300 in January, to 200 in February, but they are still too heavy. About 60 bases were captured, or two per day.

In terms of resources, Supplies and Resources stocks are growing, while fuel and oil are going down. At the current rate of production and usage (and including bunker fuel), I have enough fuel and oil for about 1000 days, or the end of 1944.


Objectives for March are pretty straightforward. In the SRA, I need to capture Singapore, South Sumatra, and Western Java. Troops freed in Singapore will reinforce Burma, perhaps South China, and help finish the conquest of New Guinea, and take position for a possible attack on Northern Australia in April. In China, there are two major goals: finish Wenchow, and move towards Sian. I believe Wenchow can be taken in March. Sian will probably need more time. After Sian, the plan is to march towards Lanchow, and perhaps Sining. Chengtu and Chungking are my ultimate goals, but I would rather clear northern China before, to protect my rear, and let the supply situation degrade.

The long term goal, in the DEI would be to have secure my historical perimeter (Java, Sumatra, New Guinea and perhaps a bit or Northern Australia) by May, and start to dig in (maybe launching a few small operations in the central pacific, just to keep my opponent busy).

In China, I would like to be done with Northern China by July, and use the summer to launch an offensive on Sichuan. A small Southern campaign, towards Tuyun and Kweiyang, might be launched in April or May. Depending on the situation there, a column from Burma could push North, towards Kunming.

The long term plan is to conquer China in 1942, and then shift part of the weight towards Burma and India, forcing the Allies to defend on the Continent, and therefore limiting their possibilities of action in the Pacific.

March 2nd, 1942

The trumpet shall sound

Palembang fell today. A deliberate attack achieved 2:1 odds against the defenders, and forced them out of the base. Almost 300 squads and over 100 guns were destroyed. The defenders have fled South, the casualties suggest they probably are at half strength now. Three regiments will pursue over the river and try to further reduce them. The rest of the troops will remain in Palembang, to rebuild the infrastructure. An Oscar squadron was rebased there (I am not sure it will fly tomorrow, though, the runway is full of holes), and planes from Djambi are flying long range patrol: there are quite a few bombers (and some fighters) in Batavia, I believe my opponent will try to use them tomorrow.

Industry is in bad shape, but not as wrecked as I feared. Basically, everything is at 30%.The oilfields and refineries are at about 300, same size as Balikpapan. Inside the base were 255k Oil and 67k resources, but only 5 600 supply points. Apparently, the refinery was stopped a while ago (or there would be fuel in the base), I don’t quite understand why. Also, the supply draw button was set to max, which means the rest of Southern Sumatra probably has very little supplies.

What next? The fall of Palembang should allow for rapid capture of Southern Sumatra, which seems lightly garrisoned. The level 4 airbase will be used as soon as it is repaired, to launch attacks on Java. Oosthaven is definitely the next target, since it will put some pressure on Batavia, at a time when the enemy needs to reinforce Surabaya.

An interesting question is whether to repair the oilfields and refineries. Damage is over 600 points for each, which means the cost to repair both is around 1.3 million supply points (half of that if I just repair the oilfields).

Now, an oilfield point, which costs 1000 supply points to repair, will produce one supply point, and 9 fuel points, which can then produce 9 supply points and 9 HI points (if they are reinvested in industry). In practice, my ships use about one third of the fuel produce. So an oilfield point will deliver, in the end: 3 ship fuel points, 7 supply points, and 6 HI points, per day. Just counting the supply cost and production, this means repairing on oilfield point pays back after 140 days (1000/7), or a little less than 5 months. In other word, any oilfield I think I can hold for five months, is worth repairing.

Should I repair the refineries? The interest of local refineries is that fuel and supplies produced by them are in the right place. But the cost of repairs seems prohibitive. Repairing oil and refineries double the “payback time” for a very local effect. I will probably pass on those repairs.

How should the convoys run? In my opinion, a fast Palembang – Singapore conveyor belt is the way to go. Anything that can be sent to Singapore will eventually flow to Port Arthur, and can be brought back to Japan even late in the game. I need to start moving tankers and ASW assets to Malaysia, in anticipation of the fall of Singapore.


In other news

On Java, my tank regiment attacked in Loemadjang. The enemy has 180 AV there, behind level three forts, but apparently lacks anti tank devices. A 1:3 attack ended with a handful of enemy squad destroyed, for no losses on my side… This is fun !

My two infantry regiments are still in the mountains, north of Loemandjang, they will attack tomorrow a small force that came to reinforce.

In Pamekasan, a first bombardment revealed that the enemy had 60 AV against my 120. The task force that was supposed to unload supplies was apparently scared away last night. I am sending them back, and holding the attack until I am supplied. Pamekasan is an island, I don’t think the enemy will dare reinforce it.


In China, the day was pretty nice. In Urumchi, a deliberate attack reduced the forts to level one, and disabled a good number of defenders. I am proceeding with the assault tomorrow, see where it goes.

East of Sian, a bombardment destroyed almost 50 squads. Enemy raw AV is around 700. I am attacking tomorrow. East of Ankang, my reinforcements are arriving in two days. Reconnaissance indicates Ankang is empty. I am going to try something bold: drop paras on the base… This would cut off the three corps defending against my two divisions, and make supply flow in the area a little worse…

West of Nanchang, the 9th Chinese Provincial Corps was caught in open terrain by the 40th Division… It wasn’t even fair.

Attacking force 11540 troops, 104 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 390
Defending force 4773 troops, 43 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 186
Japanese adjusted assault: 346
Allied adjusted defense: 52
Japanese assault odds: 6 to 1

Japanese ground losses:
101 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 6 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 3 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Allied ground losses:
2131 casualties reported
Squads: 55 destroyed, 16 disabled
Non Combat: 44 destroyed, 13 disabled
Engineers: 2 destroyed, 2 disabled
Units retreated 1

I am attacking almost everywhere tomorrow: in Urumchi, in Ankang, east of Sian, in Wenchow, in Java, and in Singapore. It seems that several of the long sieges are ending now. This will free troops, and the IJA will be on the move again.

ORIGINAL: fcharton

Industry is in bad shape, but not as wrecked as I feared. Basically, everything is at 30%.The oilfields and refineries are at about 300, same size as Balikpapan. Inside the base were 255k Oil and 67k resources, but only 5 600 supply points. Apparently, the refinery was stopped a while ago (or there would be fuel in the base), I don’t quite understand why. Also, the supply draw button was set to max, which means the rest of Southern Sumatra probably has very little supplies.

I'd say it was stopped so you wouldn't gain any of the fuel produced while it was still in Allied hands. As to drawing supply, since the base wasn't producing its own, your opponent sucked whatever he could from the rest of Sumatra to keep forces at Palembang supplied. I'd expect he's done the same in Java. Soerabaja's production will have been shut down and you'll find very little fuel awaiting you upon capture, lots of oil though.

Hi SqzMyLemon,

ORIGINAL: SqzMyLemon
I'd say it was stopped so you wouldn't gain any of the fuel produced while it was still in Allied hands. As to drawing supply, since the base wasn't producing its own, your opponent sucked whatever he could from the rest of Sumatra to keep forces at Palembang supplied. I'd expect he's done the same in Java. Soerabaja's production will have been shut down and you'll find very little fuel awaiting you upon capture, lots of oil though.

This makes sense, but it sort of kills off the main virtue of defending Palembang, one of the few bases on the map that can support its garrison supplywise. Also, in terms of fuel, having huge fuel reserves would cause spoilage, whereas oil doesn't spoil, no?

I hope he does the same in Java... Without the refinery-based supplies, defending the island should be more difficult...

Francois

March 3rd, 1942

Elated by the victory in Palembang, the IJA attacks on all fronts…

Da Big Banzai

East of Sian, our daily attack achieved 6:1 odds, and destroyed over 350 enemy squads. AV are arount 700 now, probably close to 500 tomorrow. I would like to finish them soon, but fatigue is now very high among some of my units (two divisions are over 75!). Since I have very good odds, I will attack with only part of the stack, and rest the most tired units.

North of Sian, the enemy pulled a nice counterattack. Four big fat corps (1200 AV) marched across the river, and thrashed the brigade I had there.

Japanese ground losses:
3183 casualties reported
Squads: 76 destroyed, 97 disabled
Non Combat: 55 destroyed, 116 disabled
Engineers: 2 destroyed, 4 disabled
Guns lost 3 (2 destroyed, 1 disabled)
Units retreated 1

Allied ground losses:
1044 casualties reported
Squads: 5 destroyed, 108 disabled
Non Combat: 3 destroyed, 72 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled

Ouch!

Here is a screen shot of the region…



What then? This might be a raid, or the enemy might intend to push over the river, and into the woods. It is too late for the pocketed troops, but holding two wood hexes would delay the battle of Sian. On the other hand, 1200 AV (less after the river crossing) is not a very large force, and this position can be turned from the north.

I need to reinforce this hex. Right now, I only have 120 AV, and 1100 in the next hex. Since I control the hexside between them, I have a maneuver advantage (I can shift units from one hex to the other, while my opponent cannot). I plan to split my forces more or less, leaving 700 on the major road (against a larger force, but behind field fortifications), and having 600, maybe a little more, on the small road, waiting for the Chinese. Meanwhile, I will bomb them from the air. The more disrupted, the merrier.


As expected, the paras captured Ankang. They are now in a very exposed position, since three Chinese corps lie between them and my troops. However, the Chinese will need four days to walk back, and reinforcements are arriving tomorrow, that will probably be sufficient to defeat them. This will be interesting, in any case.

Finally, in Sinyang, two RGC division defeated the remnants of three corps. Those Chinese units have improved a lot over time. Starting around 25 experience and 15 morale, they are now around 50 exp and 75 morale.

Da endless brawl

In Singapore, there was yet another typical battle… Level 2 forts, 1:2 odds…

Japanese ground losses:
5383 casualties reported
Squads: 10 destroyed, 158 disabled
Non Combat: 12 destroyed, 311 disabled
Engineers: 3 destroyed, 21 disabled
Guns lost 8 (1 destroyed, 7 disabled)
Vehicles lost 22 (2 destroyed, 20 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
1974 casualties reported
Squads: 37 destroyed, 51 disabled
Non Combat: 72 destroyed, 185 disabled
Engineers: 8 destroyed, 12 disabled
Guns lost 6 (1 destroyed, 5 disabled)
Vehicles lost 73 (26 destroyed, 47 disabled)

Over 100 squads destroyed is a nice result, but it costs a lot of disablements, and disruption and fatigue.

Elsewhere, little worthy of note happened. I have started building forts and airfields in many places (since I have supply surpluses, I might as well put all those engineers to work). Since I don’t think the enemy will launch any major offensive before the end of the year (at best), it is probably better to bring everything to a “minimum level”, and then pick those places I really want to fortify.

Right now, the idea is to build infrastructures to SPS, and forts to levels between 2 and 4, then move the engineers to another base, repeat, rinse, repeat… So, every day, I get a dozen of those nice and cheerful messages about forts, or airfields, or ports, growing.


Overall, a decent day for the Empire.

March 4th, 1942

Smashing the weak

East of Sian, three Chinese corps surrendered today, more than 800 squads were destroyed, I believe all this will be over before a week. The four corps that had attacked over the river were seen moving West, towards an armored car unit I have there… I am faster than them, so there is no risk. It seems that my opponent did not want to launch a counterattack, but just to give me a taste of my own medicine : clobbering lone units in clear terrain… Well done, Roland!

The hex east of Ankang was reinforced today. I am attacking tomorrow. My paras are at half strength now, and have been ordered to march towards this hex, to cut the overland retreat.

The rest of China is quiet. Troops are resting today, I will attack again tomorrow.

In the East Indies, Singkep was captured today. I am now mopping all the islands between Borneo and Sumatra.

South of Palembang, two battalions shock attacked over the river in Praboemoelih. In clear terrain, the defenders suffered heavy casualties (two units destroyed, 300 squads lost), and retreated towards Lahat. My forces will now split : one column towards Lahat, chasing the defenders, and a second one to Oosthaven.

Nothing very glorious here, I am basically chasing remnants and finishing off defeated units, but this has to be done. Pursuit is when most casualties are dealt. On average, casualty ratios are slightly over 10:1 in Japan’s favor : 3000 vs 300 ground unit points.

Building the Empire

As mentioned yesterday, I am embarking on a long term project of fort, airfield and port building. I believe this has to be done early in the game, since Japan has a lot of engineer units, but Japanese are slow builders.

I am building for two reasons, to bolster my defenses, and to improve Japan’s victory total (via airfields and ports). Victory totals serve two purposes : in the short term, they maintain some pressure on the allies. I don’t think I can achieve autovictory, but this is not a reason not to try. In the middle to long term, VP gained on bases far behind the front will remain. The more I have, the more the Allies need to defeat Japan.

As for preparing defenses, one point I have noticed when fighting in China is that even small fort levels make a lot of difference. This is especially true in small bases, where the enemy is likely to land with barely enough. A battalion behind fort level three can be quite a nasty encounter, there.

Early in the game, there is little point in trying to guess where invasions will take place, and what should be fortified. Right now, my objective is to build everything to a minimal level. Strongholds will be decided later. The target for ports and airfields is SPS (exceptions can be made for some forward hubs, and some bases with huge VP multipliers, eg Manilla). For forts, I have noticed low levels build fast, and that it gets much slower after level three. Level four is the target in most forward areas, level three in bases further back. Once a base is grown to this level, the engineers will proceed to the next one, and so on.

The next question is: how should those bases be garrisoned and supplied? I need to review all the guard/garrison units and base forces I am due to receive, and compare it to the number of bases I want to hold. I also need to see how many will just have troops on the ground, and how many will have engineers, and perhaps planes. Supplies is not a problem now, but it will become one later in the game.

March 5th and 6th, 1942

China

East of Sian, another attack on the fifth achieved 24:1 odds, and destroyed 170 more squads. Since fatigue was reaching very high levels, I put everyone to rest on the sixth, except the artillery, which destroyed 40 more squads. I am attacking tomorrow.

North of Sian, I am bombing the four corps in clear terrain. Ground bombing seems to work nicely: I am disabling 20-40 squads every day.

In Urumchi, a deliberate attack, on the fifth, destroyed the fortifications. Losses are in my favor, but still very low. I believe I have enough troops to finish the defenders, but it will certainly take a while. I am attacking again on the seventh.

East of Yenan, two brigades crossed the river and shock attacked the Chinese. The division that was supposed to tag along was a day late, so the odds were only 1:2. Yet, the defenders suffered badly (55 squads destroyed, for 5 japanese, 60 disabled vs 95). My division is arriving tomorrow, we will rest for a day or two and attack again. There is no reason to let these guys make it back to Sian…

East of Haiphong, an amphibious brigade and a tank regiment had been ordered to march on the 64th Chinese corps. For some reason, the tank regiment, which was supposed to follow, did not, and arrived first and shock attacked. Despite very bad odds, no damage was done.

Ground combat at 69,56 (near Haiphong)
Japanese Shock attack
Attacking force 300 troops, 0 guns, 47 vehicles, Assault Value = 28
Defending force 2651 troops, 34 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 102
Japanese adjusted assault: 5
Allied adjusted defense: 43
Japanese assault odds: 1 to 8

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), leaders(+), experience(-)
Attacker: op mode(-), shock(+), leaders(+), leaders(-)

Allied ground losses:
100 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 11 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

My amphibious brigade is arriving tomorrow. Militias from Lang Son have been ordered to march too, to cut the retreat, the 64th is toast.

That is all for China. There were a few more deliberate attacks, in Nanning and around Kanhsien, but they failed to achieve anything.

Java

Pamekasan fell on the fifth, and KNIL regiment surrendered. The two naval guard units that took the base are reembarking for Probolinggo, which fell on the sixth.

The enemy is apparently evacuating Loemadjang, to reinforce Malang. This makes sense, even though I suspect the garrison there is in very bad shape. We’ll know very soon if they can defend against the brigade and the regiment the IJA has. Surabaya has been reinforced too. It now sports five units.

Reinforcements from Mindanao are on their way. A first contingent is four days away. I have not yet decided if I want them to land in Banjoewangi, or in Tjepoe or Semarang.the plains west of Surabaya. On one hand, there is always something fun with such maneuvers, on the other hand, I don’t think I can cut the transportation lines over the island (there are too many roads and railroads), what is the point of splitting forces, then? I am giving it two more days, but right now, I am planning to reinforce Banjoewangi.


Luzon

Over Clark Field, it seems the flak is no longer attacking my planes. I am scoring against the airbase, and runway, as usual, but no supply hits. Could the defenders be unsupplied? This seems a little early, and since I have 1000 AV against 2450 enemies, I would rather be safe than sorry… I will continue bombarding, send my planes lower, gradually move them from airfield attack to ground bombing, and see if the flak reappears. If so, after a week of ground bombing, I will try a deliberate attack (around the 15th of March). If this works, the conquest of the Philippines will be my easiest campaign, and would show the limit of such an “early fortress Clark” strategy… Since Clark Field and Bataan do not produce supplies, if Manilla is abandoned too soon, it becomes very easy to bottle the defenders and wait.

March 7th, 1942

The war today

Another day at the front…

In Sian, nine Chinese corps surrendered, destroying 2500 squads. Out of the 18 units and 2400 AV that were in this hex several weeks ago, only four, and about 150 AV remain. My troops are exhausted, but I am attacking tomorrow, let us end this.

In Yenan, the hex is now reinforced, I have 600 AV against about 200 enemies. I am waiting one more day for disruption to fall down, and I will attack.

In Ankang, an attack managed 1:1 odds, but failed to do much damage. The two divisions are unsupplied, we have to wait a day, but this is definitely looking bright.

In Urumchi, forts still at zero, the enemy does not seem to be rebuilding. No significant damage was done today, this is going to take a while.

In Wenchow, things went pretty wrong. Lost more than the enemy, I need to rest, and perhaps to wait for reinforcements to arrive. In the meantime, I will bomb from the air.

In Haiphong, the amphibious brigade, crossing the river, triggered another shock attack. Not too many damage, but I need to rest away the disruption.

In Singapore, the attack did not go well. We lost about the same number squads, but I had more disablement. Forts were back at level three, now reduced to two. The Nells that were ordered to bomb the base last week did not make much difference (and many were shot by the flak). I will bombard tomorrow to see where we stand, and I have another fresh division in Johore… But this is taking a lot of time and resources.

That’s all in the war for today. Tomorrow, we get another attack near Sian, and one in Port Moresby, where the 144th regiment was reinforced by a Naval Guard.

The economy today

The economy is in steady state now.

Resources stocks are at 9.9 million, increasing by about 8k every day. I am producing 308k resource points every day, and using 300k. Stocks represent a month usage, and surpluses would allow to build about 450 factories, producing about 640 supply points per day. I have 214 damaged resource facilities, which could be repaired. A resource facility repair costs 1000 Supplies, and will produce 12.5 SP/day (average between light and heavy industry production rate). As such, repairs pay off in about 80 days if you have the industrial facility ready. If you need to repair, or expand, industry, then the pay-off delay doubles to over five months. This remains a good deal, especially in China. But since I am not over producing resources, it means industry, and not resources should be the current targets for repairs.

Convoys from Sakhalin and Hokkaido to the Home Islands (Japan produces much less resources than it needs) are going fine. Stocks are going down, which means my convoys take more resources out than those islands produce (or, if you prefer, transfer stocks from those islands to Japan). At the current rate, the Hokkaido stocks (1.4 million points) will be transferred to Japan in 8 months, and the Sakhalin stocks (50k) in about 6 months. This will mean less convoys, less fuel usage, and less targets for enemy subs.

Yet, Japan uses more resources than it gets, and stocks are down by about 260k per month. This could be compensated by reinforcing the convoys from Manchuria, resource stocks on the continent have increased by 400k last month.

Resources from the SRA are not being brought back in large enough quantities, convoys need to be organized, notably from based now far from the front : Tandjoenpinang and Singkep, south of Singapore, Pontianak in Borneo, Baybay and Catbalogan in the Philippines… There also are many small bases around Japan, which have small resource production, and end up with small stocks, that need to be brought back from time to time. Those convoys will bring resources back to the Continent.

The Gilberts, Nauru and Ocean islands, remain my main concern. I have tried to set up convoys, but can’t seem to bring resources back in sufficient number. Several steps must be taken :

- Send a good ASW force there, to destroy the subs the enemy parks in the harbor. They are not doing much damage, but still… Also, add mines and ACM.
- Probably build a two level convoy system : with many small task forces bringing the resources back to a local hub, and larger task forces moving them back to Japan. Until now I was using Kwajalein as my hub, but Truk is probably a much better choice (all the more as I can send supplies back in my convoys from Japan).

To summarize, the Empire is not short of resources now, but convoys have to be organized before enemy submarines become more effective and begin to prowl the waters.


Heavy and light industry are producing about 27k supplies per day. Most of my industry is building, with 60 points still damaged in China. I will probably repair them. Should industry production be increased? In China, this is a tempting prospect. Bases in East China, like Peking, Nanking, or Chenchow, Loyang or Tsiaotso, are good candidates for industry expansion. I will probably try this soon.

Should I expand light or heavy industry? Heavy industry is more cost effective (one factory point produces 2 HI and 2 SP, against just one SP for light industry), and cannot be effectively seized by the enemy (it gets halved). But then, industrial sites are few, and some are very obvious targets for enemy bombers. Growing light industry would allow to split production between many sites, and therefore better resist against late war bombing.

Supply stocks are around 5.4 millions. They used to go up by 5k per day, but the recent building effort is now bringing the stocks down. It is still too early to know whether this is sustainable. If not, I will expand the industry.

The largest supply stocks are still in Japan, but with the capture of many refineries in the SRA, local stocks are sufficient to feed the troops.


Fuel and Oil situation have been improving with the fall of Palembang. Oil stocks are now around 4 550k, going down less than 5k/day, which means this can last about 1000 days. Total fuel is about 7 million points, down about 2.5k/day, enough for 2800 days… I have not done the full calculation, but this suggests I have enough for the whole campaign. That is, at the current rate of production and usage. Of course, the rate of production will go up as we conquer Java, and repair some of the damaged oilfileds, and then down as the allies reconquer (or destroy) the oilfields. And fuel usage will probably go down as we go on the defensive and can shut some factories down.

Right now, 21k fuel points are produced every day. 15k are used by the industry, and 8.5k by my ships.

Yet, this suggests oil and fuel stocks are not, at the moment, a matter of concern for the Empire. Moving oil out of the DEI will be one at some point. Out of 4.5 million oil points, 3.8 are in Japan and Hokkaido, and 310k on the continent. The rest is in Sumatra (280k) Borneo (90k) and New Guinea (35k). Borneo also has large stocks of fuel (70k). Convoys from Miri/Brunei and Balikpapan to Cam Ranh have been set up, but they need to be reinforced. A Bengkalis-Malacca line will open very soon


I have little to say about industrial output. I am a bit clueless about planes, and not wanting to tweak it too much (all the more as we are playing with PDU off). Armaments are now stable around 38k, I don’t know what a reasonable total is. Vehicles points are around 9000, going up. Most merchant building have been halted, and yard points are accumulating, whereas naval shipyards are not enough. I will make a decision about those once I decide on my naval building (ie do I really want to build those ships, or just cut the thing and go continental).

If you look at the charts in tracker for armament pts, you can see that you will burn a lot when you start getting new units delivered in 43.  I would keep armaments on yet for a while.  38K seems like a lot, but I think an LCU div is like 20,000 Arm pts so you don't even have 2 div's worth saved up.  Look at your LCU reinforcement screen, you have a lot coming.  What others have said is that you basically need to keep the ARM on until '44 or later depending upon your losses.
 
Planes, particularly with PDU Off, are pretty simple.  First decide your upgrade path for each plane type (IJN fighter, IJN DB, IJA Fighter, IJA LB etc).  Most of those choices are pretty obvious, but some are less so.  Then look hard at Tracker air group upgrade screen.  Your biggest problem is that a lot of groups can't upgrade to the plane you want it to be for a long time.  EX: Some of the IJA groups will be in Nates until '44. [:(]   Anyway, once you know when each group can upgrade to your preferred plane, you can determine what your production of the plane needs to be.  With PDU Off you make a lot fewer factory changes a lot slower than with PDU ON. 
 
EX: Most IJ players prefer to go to Helens as they get armor in late 42.  However, quite a few of the IJA LB groups cannot upgrade to Helen for some time, if at all.  So, you end up keeping Sally's and Lilly's in production while slowly bringing Helen on line.  Eventually you can start to taper off the Sally/Lilly because some of the groups converting to Helen will be putting Sally/Lilly into the pools.  However, don't be surprised if your Lilly factory is still running in '44.

March 8th and 9th, 1942

Downhill DEI

During the two month siege, Palembang was reinforced several times, with units from Sumatra and Java. Its fall makes further conquest of the Dutch Indies much easier.

On Sumatra, an attack on Lahat chased the Palembang defenders towards Benkoelen. A second column is marching on Oosthaven, unopposed, and should arrive there in about a week. I have 250 AV in Palembang, that do not seem to be needed at the moment, and am considering landing half of them in Merak or another base in West Java.

On Java, Loemandjang was abandoned (and fell on the 9th). The enemy is concentrating in Malang, in the mountains over Surabaya. A first deliberate attack found eleven units, and 260 AV, behind level 2 forts. I am reinforcing tomorrow with a tank regiment, and have two SNLF battalions and two infantry regiments arriving soon, but Malang is a good defensive position, and could be held for a while if supplied.

Five other units are reported in Surabaya. Since several regiments were air transported to Sumatra during the battle for Palembang, I believe my opponent has less than 350 AV on Java (not counting the static coastal defenses in Batavia, Surabaya and Tjilatjap). The 260 in Malang, plus a few destroyed already, and those units in Surabaya account for most of them…

I have a recon regiment and an infantry brigade landing in Tjepoe tomorrow. They are scheduled for Surabaya, but I might take Madioen and a few other bases in central Java en passant.

In Singapore, the enemy is now around 780 AV, I have more than 2900 and a fresh division arriving tomorrow. Forts are probably back at level three, but prospects are good.

In Port Moresby, a deliberate attack on the 8th achieved 1:1 odds, and reduced the forts to level one. The next day, another attack reduced forts to zero, achieving 2:1. This is looks like an easy one.


All this suggests Port Moresby and Southern Sumatra could be ours by mid March, and operations in Singapore and Java could be over by the end of the month. What then? I think we would go for Luzon and finish the Philippine islands, seize the islands off Java and Sumatra, link with Rangoon, and probably go for Horn Island and the rest of New Guinea. The goal would be to hold all this perimeter by May.

I would be happy with this, and am not certain I want to proceed further, towards Noumea, Fiji, the Hebrides, or Ceylon. Northern Australia would not be invaded, but might be given consideration later this year.



In the Philippines, a few days ago, I was wondering whether Clark Field was out of supplies. It is not! Today, I tried sending bombers on a much lower altitude than usual (5k vs 10k), and the flak reappeared. I lost a few planes in the process, but it is much better than finding out through a misplaced deliberate attack. We’ll be bombing, and try this again in a month…

China

East of Sian, the last defenders finally surrendered on the ninth. Over 130 000 troops, worth more than 2300 AV, were destroyed. Some of them will respawn in Chungking, but the Sian garrison has lost about a third of its strength. The attackers, over 4100 AV, are now marching west.

Sian is the next target. It is defended by thirty seven units, in three hexes (the base, the wood hex east of it, and the plains north of it). I would like to isolate the defenders, and, if possible, pocket them, before the attack begins. I am giving a month to maneuver around them, and another month to destroy them.

Two regiments from the 36th division have already been ordered to march through the woods (towards Ankang), in order to cut the southern escapes. The large stack that defeated the pocket will cross the river to the north, and proceed across clear terrain.


In Yenan, a first attack had mixed results. An enemy unit, and forty squads were destroyed, but my troops failed to achieve 1:1 odds, and need to rest. A long series of attrition battles suit me fine, so long it prevents the defenders from making it back to Sian.

In Urumchi, another attack managed 1:1 odds.

In Wenchow, Nanning, and Kanhsien, I am waiting for reinforcements, while bombing from the air. A division for Wenchow is between Nanchang and Chuhsien. A brigade for Kanhsien is on its way. The Nanning reinforcements first need to defeat the 64th corps, near Haiphong. I probably need about ten days before I can resume battle.


Interestingly, the fall of Palembang and the end of the Sian pocket moved the centre of gravity of the war. China used to be the active theater, whereas the DEI was evolving very slowly. Now most action is happening in Sumatra, Java and New Guinea, whereas China is experiencing a maneuver phase, where things happen very slowly.

March 10th and 11th, 1942

Port Moresby

Port Moresby fell on the tenth. A deliberate attack achieved 6:1 odds, and drove the defenders into the marshes north of the base. The day before, forts had been reduced to level zero.

This concludes the invasion of southern New Guinea. Gasmata was invaded on the 11th, and the last base occupied by enemy forces (Wau) was attacked. Base forces and engineer companies are arriving, to build the region into a strong complex of bases.

Since my troops in PM are in good shape, I am contemplating a quick move on Horn Island. I doubt my opponent garrisoned it, so it is probably a free lunch. The benefits are that it will close the Torres Straits, and opens a route for the capture of Merauke and bases between New Guinea and Timor. The downside is that Horn Island cannot be held alone. It is too isolated. This means I should follow up with a few moves on Australia, seizing bases on the gulf of Carpentaria and probably those north of Cooktown. This means more troops than I have at present. Once Java falls, though…

I also need to secure my possessions in the Solomons. Right now, apart from two naval guard units and couple of mines, the area is undefended. Yet this is one of the first targets for allied reconquest.

Java, Sumatra and Singapore

On Java, another attack on Malang did not succeed in bringing down the forts, but is causing more enemy losses than we have. A regiment worth of troops is in Probolinggo, and a brigade in Banjoewangi. It seems that Malang can be taken by force.

Tjepoe was captured on the eleventh, against no opposition. A few zeroes were sent to fend off bombers (that might want to attack the oilfields). Instead of moving on Surabaya, to relieve Malang, I will move first on Madioen, Semarang and Djodjakarta. If my troops in Eastern Java are sufficient to take Malang, I will not need to reinforce them, and let them proceed on Surabaya. Besides, cutting communications between Surabaya and Batavia will prevent reinforcing one front with the other.

Finally, two battalions from Palembang embarked for Merak. They will be reinforced from Oosthaven as soon as this base falls.

In Singapore, units were finally supplied on the eleventh (once the 64th Chinese corps was finally driven away from the railroad it occupied). I am attacking tomorrow with 3400 AV against 800 AV, behind level three forts.

China

Between Haiphong and Lang Son, the Chinese 64th corps was finally defeated, and retreated north. 60 squads were destroyed, which probably represent about half its strength. This reopened the supply line between Malaysia and China, and shows how vulnerable supply lines can be… I will pursue the 64th, and destroy it as much as I can. Nanning can wait. Once this is done, my supply line from Singapore to Fusan will be secure.

This probably is the key to success in China. In real life, the Japanese handled it very badly, and Chinese post war propaganda, both KMT and CCP, made this into larger than life actions, stuff like this…. (this from a 1965 PRC movie, propaganda at its best)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Os6WjHE ... re=related


In Yenan, a deliberate attack pushed the Chinese back towards Sian. Almost 400 squads were destroyed. The Yenan garrison are now back on the road. I will chase them, and try to destroy as much as I can before they arrive, but right now, thanks to this retreat, they have almost ten days advance… I have one armored car unit between Sian and Yenan. I am sending all the armor around Sian (about 150 AV) over the Yellow River and into the plains north of Sian. This would achieve two goals : cutting the retreat of the Yenan stack, and helping isolate Sian.

March 12th, 1942

Singapore

In Singapore, the deliberate attack failed to achieve 1:1 odds, but we’re getting close : 1955:2223, 1.14 to 1… It did reduce the forts from level three to level two, and caused decent losses to the enemy.

Japanese ground losses:
4167 casualties reported
Squads: 13 destroyed, 327 disabled
Non Combat: 7 destroyed, 187 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 82 disabled
Units destroyed 1

Allied ground losses:
2850 casualties reported
Squads: 81 destroyed, 83 disabled
Non Combat: 99 destroyed, 269 disabled
Engineers: 5 destroyed, 18 disabled
Vehicles lost 55 (6 destroyed, 49 disabled)

As usual, disruption is high, and my troops need to rest. I will bombard tomorrow to see how much damage was done.

Locusts

Japanese advance on Java and Sumatra have significantly reduced enemy threats in the seas around Borneo. I have more ASW patrols, there are less enemy planes flying. Dutch bombers in Java are trying to attack my landings, and get slowly eliminated by my Zeroes on CAP. I might actually move Nates from Malaysia, since the enemy has no fighters left… This nice situation will only last for a while… Sooner or later, enemy subs will be back, and long range planes will harass my transports.

As a result, I am trying to take advantage of the current lull to bring back as much resources as I can, from the DEI to the continent. There are quite a few small bases with 30 or 40k resource points (Singkep, Pontianak…). I am bringing them back to Saigon or Cam Ranh, aboard small merchant ships. I am also setting up a fast “oil conveyor” between Bengkalis and Malacca. The general idea is to get as much as I can on the continent, via small shipping lanes, and save Singapore (once it falls) for the big convoys (Palembang, Balikpapan and Java). I am also sending supplies to Sumatra, Java and Borneo. It seems clear that a lot of facilities will be damaged on capture. The earlier you repair, the more cost effective the repairs are.

Also, it seems clear that everything that gets on the continent will eventually end in Manchuria or Korea, where it can be brought back to Japan. Right now, convoys from Sakhalin and Hokkaido do a good job in keeping Home Islands industry running. My goal, in the SRA, is just to repatriate resources and oil to the continent.

Resource convoys from the Continent to Japan now get loaded with supplies on their way back. Current supply stocks are down 4k per day, on 5.4 million stocks, which means we could hold for 1350 days at this rate (ie expanding forts, and airfields, and ports)… However, most supply stocks still are on the Home Islands, and need to be sent to the front. I am using China as an automatic convoy. So far, this seems to be working.

This suggests yet another strategy for the Allies in China. If you can cut the supply line between China and Indochina (probably between Pakhoi and Nanning), resource and supply flow get very complicated since Japan needs to move everything on ships. Of course, Hong Kong Haiphong convoys could then be organized, but it makes the Japanese player’s task more difficult.

The AAR is about a week behind the game, I am trying to catch up…

March 13th and 14th, 1942

Indies

In Singapore, after a day of rest, the IJA attacked again on the fourteenth. Adjusted odds were 1209/1331, 1:1.1 we’re getting close… About fifty squads were destroyed on each side. Raw AV was around 760, and the enemy seems to lose between 50 and 100 AV every other day. This suggests we could take the city by early April.

On Sumatra, Oosthaven should be invaded tomorrow. The Palembang garrison is defending the hex east of Benkolen, and will probably be chased tomorrow. The conquest of South Sumatra could be over by the 20th of March.

On Java, Madioen should fall tomorrow. Malang is being reinforced, but supplies are getting low. A convoy from Balikpapan is arriving in a couple of days. Once reinforced and supplied, I doubt Malang can hold. Then, we will proceed on Surabaya. I want to try something there. It would be easy to bottle the defenders, but this will also make the battle last longer, and probably wreck the installations. By opening a retreat path (along the coast), I might be able to reduce damage, and bottle the defenders in clear terrain.

The Merak invasion is sailing. Unless the landings go terribly wrong, I will hold Merak by the time troops in Oosthaven are ready to embark and reinforce. Depending on what I find in Merak, I might reinforce from Oosthaven, or land in Buitenzorg, to try and deny the mountains to the Batavia garrison. If I can keep them away from the mountains, on the south coast, their elimination will be much easier.

In New Guinea, a first deliberate attack in Wau reduced enemy defenses. I expect the base to fall in a few day. At this point, all bases on the East shore of New Guinea will be ours (save a few dots that still need to be mopped). Engineers are on their way, to build the airfields.

We landed on Horn Island on the 14th. As expected, it was lightly garrisoned (three small units behind level two forts). The initial shock attack destroyed the forts, and achieved 3:1 odds. I am resting tomorrow, and will attack the day after.


China

Near Lang Son, a first attack route the 64th corps, which retreated north. I am pursuing them. My goal is to destroy enough of them, and chase them far away, in order to protect my supply line in Indochina.

Japanese Deliberate attack
Attacking force 4608 troops, 57 guns, 16 vehicles, Assault Value = 225
Defending force 1719 troops, 34 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 45

Japanese assault odds: 2 to 1

Japanese ground losses:
61 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 5 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Units pursuing 1

Allied ground losses:
818 casualties reported
Squads: 30 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 25 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Units retreated 1

In Urumchi, the enemy now has 210 AV, against about 400 at the beginning of the month. Every day, a deliberate attack destroys about ten squads, and disables about fifty more. I believe the base should fall by the end of March. The enemy units will then be chased, and destroyed if possible. Wasu will probably be taken soon after. Kashgar will be left as a later objective for my tank regiment. I think the Western campaign should be over by May (and then, this theater will be calm until late 1945, when/if the Soviets invade.


In Wenchow, a deliberate attack fell just short of 1:1 odds (998 to 1006…) A fresh division is in Chuhsien, a week away. I will attack once more, and then reinforce. This is an old fashioned siege: all hexsides are controlled by the Japanese, the enemy cannot leave. I am eager to eliminate all defenders. My supply line from Manchuria to Indochina runs through Fujian, and I don’t want all those small defeated units to run free, and wreck my communications.

March 15th – 19th, 1942

I am falling back on the AAR, so here’s a catch-up post


Java

Malang was reinforced on the 15th, and again on the 16th. I now have 750 AV against 250 enemies. A first attack, on the 17th, reduced the forts to level one, and achieved 1:1 odds. After three days of battle, the enemy now has about 150 AV, behind level one forts. I am resting the troops for a day or two, and will attack again. This base will probably fall soon, and we will move to Surabaya, where I expect an easy fight.

In Central Java, Madioen fell on the 15th, and Soerakarta on the 17th. Djokjakarta and Semarang are next. They don’t seem to be strongly garrisoned. Unless things go wrong in Surabaya, those troops will then march on Tjilatjap and from then towards Batavia. The enemy sent bombers against the airfield in Tjepoe, trading planes for supply hits. I am not sure it is worth it.

Three battalions from Palembang landed in Merak on the 17th. The base fell the next day to a shock attack. Another battalion from Oosthaven should land in Buitenzorg tomorrow. My goal is to maintain the Batavia garrison on the north coast, in the plains.

In Batavia, intelligence reports 15 units, but only 920 troops and 4 guns. These 15 seem a lot, and would suggest my opponent has decided to reinforce the city. But this seems inconsistent with the general retreat observed in the DEI, and the concentration of all Dutch forces in Palembang and Malang. Two guard units are marching on the city, reconnaissance missions will be flown tomorrow. I need to know what is brewing.

Apart from a possible resistance nest in Batavia, it seems that Java will be in Japanese hands by the beginning of April. So far, this was a very easy campaign.


Sumatra

Oosthaven fell on the 16th, without a fight, and Benkoelen on the 18th. I am now chasing the Palembang garrison on the road to Padang. Meanwhile, Toboali was captured. Billiton and the islands off the West coast of Sumatra are next. The north will probably wait until the second half of April.

Between Singapore and Oosthaven, I have been setting up convoys, to bring back the oil from Palembang and the resources in many small bases to Saigon. Quite a few bases, in the region produce 20 resources per day, and after three month, have 30k resource points in store. The general idea is to use the return trip of ships that bring troops and supply to the front to bring those either to Indochina or to Japan. Ideally, no ship should sail empty. I am not there yet, but I am improving.


Singapore

A pretty good deliberate attack, on the 16th, destroyed more than 200 enemy squads. Allied AV are now below 650 (against 3000 Japanese). Unfortunately, I did not rest enough, attacked again on the 18th, for much heavier losses. This is taking much longer than I thought, but Singapore garrison is being reduced.

In Clark Field, enemy raw AV have been going down for a couple of days. Nothing very impressive so far (from 2420 to 2340), but without any real work on my side (save the usual daily bombardment). I can only hope that this results from the lack of supplies…

In New Guinea, Wau was captured on the 16th, and Horn Island on the 17th.


Overall, the conquest of the East Indies is proceeding smoothly, and should be over by early May. This is probably not a very fast pace, but I am quite happy with this. After, I am not planning to expand further south. I will probably take a few bases in north eastern Australia, to maintain control of the Torres Straits, and might feint towards a few other bases in the South Pacific, to discourage early enemy attempts. But I am now beginning to dig in, and prepare the defense of the SRA. Once the historical perimeter, plus Port Moresby are conquered, the goal is to hold for as long as possible, while I am busy taking China…


China

Very little happened this week in China. Regular attacks are reducing the Urumchi garrison. Troops are maneuvering around Sian, and Wenchow is being reinforced.

The only notable battle happened north of Kanhsien. The Chinese corps that was blocking our advance towards Changsha was defeated. I am pushing towards Pingsiang. That base produces 120 resources, denying them to the Chinese would probably be useful.

Supplywise, it seems that the enemy is no longer repairing the industry in Changsha, but is now repairing in Chungking. I believe supply draw was maxed there in the hope of rebuilding the dead units from Taiyuan and Sian when they respawn. I like this strategy, all supplies that go into repairs and rebuilds don’t feed the troops on the ground…

March 20th and 21st 1942

Java

Around Batavia, Buitenzorg fell on the twenty first. I now have about 200 AV converging on Batavia. All should arrive on the 23rd, cutting retreat towards the mountains. Reconnaissance reports 15000 troops and 19 units in the base. This means I will have to reinforce. I have one regiment in Oosthaven, waiting for transports. Tomorrow, the first raiding regiment (now in Palembang) will be dropped over Kalidjati. If the Batavia garrison is mostly made of non combatant units, this might be enough to dislodge them. Else, the 300 AV in central Java will join them in about two weeks.

In central Java, Djokjakarta fell on the 21st. Semarang is the next target. After, I intend to bypass Tjilatjap, and go straight for Batavia.

In Malang, we are attacking again tomorrow, after two days of rest. I have 750 AV, the enemy is probably down to 150, the base is ready to fall.



China

In Urumchi, the enemy now has less than 130 AV. We are attacking ever other day, for lack of supplies, but I doubt the base can hold one more week.

Around Yenan, we overtook the fleeing defenders and should attack tomorrow. Last time I fought them, they had 237 AV, and lost 300 squads in the retreat. I am expecting something like 150 AV (I have 600). The goal, here, is very simple. I want to chase them back towards Sian, so as to clear the region from enemy forces, and destroy as many of their squads as I can in the process.

Around Sian, Japanese troops are now split into two forces. One group (Wood Force), about 3000 AV strong, with 1200 guns, is in the woods east of the base, confronting nine Chinese corps (2600 AV). A second force (Plain Force), about 3000 AV strong too, with all my armored assets has crossed the Yellow River, and will proceed north of Sian, to cut enemy lines of communications, and attack the base across the river. Recon reports 20 units in Sian. I expect AV to be around 2500.

My plan is relatively simple. Wood Force is tasked with bombarding the enemy in the woods, disrupting, disabling and destroying as many squads as we can, but not trying to chase them away (too costly). Then, Plain Force will cross the River, attack Sian, and use the armored units to close the hexsides around the city (and therefore cut external resupply). Once Sian is attacked, the enemy has two options. Either continue fighting in two hexes, in which case I will probably shift troops from the Wood Force to the Plain Force, or retreat everybody into the city. In this case (the most likely, in my opinion), I would have about 7000 AV against 5000 enemies, in clear terrain.

South of Sian, it seems that Ichang is being evacuated. Yesterday, half of its garrison moved south, towards Changteh. I will wait a few more days, and see what happens. But if the evacuation was confirmed, I might try to attack. This would further protect my supply lines in the central plains.

North of Kanhsien, the 49th corps was once more defeated, and retreated towards Pingsiang. I am pursuing, along the major road, and will see whether the enemy decides to reinforce, or abandon that base. I am interested in Pingsiang because of the resources it produces, but attacking there also reinforces the impression I am going for Changsha.

In Wenchow, I now have about 1900 AV, against 1200 enemies. A first deliberate attack achieved 1:1 odds, but failed to damage the defenders. About 400 AV are on their way. The base has no more forts, is surrounded, and probably unsupplied. Judging by the pocket east of Sian, I probably need two or three weeks to finish the defenders. This means the 2000+ AV I have in Wenchow should be available for a new offensive by early May.

In South China, intelligence reports movements from Kweilin towards Liuchow. I only have a regiment there, and cannot hold if the enemy comes in force. If the move is confirmed, I will abandon the base, and march on Nanning. Liuchow, a salient in clear terrain, can be retaken later, and the industry there has been badly damaged already. Between Lang Son and Nanning, the 64th corps is being reduced to an empty shell, and pushed around on the secondary road north of Nanning. I expect to be in Nanning around the 15th of April. Short term goals in this area are to take Nanning, build up there, perhaps abandoning Liuchow in the process, and then move back on Liuchow for an offensive towards Tuyun.

March 22nd and 23rd 1942,

The fall of Urumchi, and other war stories

Urumchi fell on the 23rd. 400 squads were destroyed, and the enemy retreated towards Wasu, on the major road. I will split the infantry division, garrison the city with one regiment, and use the two others and my tank regiment to chase the enemy. Once they are mauled, I intend to use the three regiments in Wasu, Urumchi and Kashgar, and use the tank as a mobile police force, to chase the last ones. Facilities are in pretty good shape, only 10% damaged.

The capture of Urumchi ends a first phase in the conquest of China. Unless a huge force appears in Kashgar (and I very much doubt this), there is no way North western China can be retaken before 1945. Next targets are Lanchow and Sining, but this will have to wait the fall of Sian. In June probably…

The defenders from Yenan were, once again, overtaken and defeated. 250 squads were destroyed. I have good hope that by the time they make it back home, they will be reduced to a few gun tubes.

Japanese ground losses:
478 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 27 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 18 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Allied ground losses:
2224 casualties reported
Squads: 152 destroyed, 1 disabled
Non Combat: 97 destroyed, 2 disabled
Engineers: 2 destroyed, 3 disabled
Guns lost 2 (2 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Units retreated 9

East of Sian, the bombardment began. First day destroyed two squads and disabled five, the second day one squad was lost and 6 disabled. I am very curious to see if a long bombardment can damage such a large stack, or if damage will remain the same over time. East of Sian, in the end, bombardment destroyed a dozen squads every day.

In Wenchow, another deliberate attack achieved 1:1 odds again (711:493 adjusted), but resulted mostly in disablements, with heavy losses (disablements too) for Japan. Reinforcements should arrive in about five days. I expect the defenders to break down then. It now seems likely that the battle for Wenchow will be over in the beginning of April.

In the South, the move against Liuchow is confirmed. I will move towards Nanning (this will cost a few VP to partisan attacks, it cannot be helped).


Singapore, Malang, and other bases that would not fall

An attack on Singapore, the twenty second, reduced the garrison to less than 600 AV, it is slow, but we’re getting there. In Sumatra, the Palembang garrison is being chased along the Padang road. Like the Yenan guys, they will probably be in very sore shape when they arrive.

On Java, Kalidjati was taken by my paratroops. My troops arrived in Batavia, I am bombarding, and will soon know what is left in this base. In central Java, we are now in Semarang.

Two more attacks on Malang reduced the defenders to about 120 AV. It is a matter of days, now…

March 24th 1942

News from the world of silence

So far, the anti-submarine war has been relatively successful. The enemy is sinking very little shipping: overall, in March, I have six ships reported sunk by enemy torpedoes. I am claiming four enemy subs in exchange, and twelve since the beginning of the war, but there have been lots of false claims, so it is probably one or two in fact. I am probably damaging more submarines than I sink, though, because many of those that were attacking my convoys seem to be gone.

At present, most of the convoy lanes behind my lines are safe. Hardly anything gets attacked around Japan, between Borneo and Indochina, or in the Celebes. There still is a lot of submarine activity around the Gilberts and Kwajalein, and between Rabaul and Milne Bay.

My submarines have not been very efficient either, I am getting about a sinking per week, of the West Coast, Hawaii or Australia, and none of my submarines have been lost to enemy ASW. I suspect one of the reason for a lack of early sinking was that my opponent was not having many ships at sea. I do see a few more convoys these days, but nothing quite impressive (and my subs often miss).

So far, I have not really invested in that part of the game. I am keeping submarines on patrol around enemy coast lines and major islands, and keeping significant ASW forces around my ports. I am also training a few bombers to ASW, and using floatplanes for this as well.

I am relatively happy with this state of affairs. The lack of significant enemy submarine threat means I can run my convoys in the DEI with light protection only. Light, or none, in fact… I have been noticing that lone xAK tend to be attacked by subs on the surface, and perform quite well in defense (with their little guns). On the contrary, I have noticed that PB tended to be bad at ASW when in an escort, but were much better in a dedicated ASW task force. As a result, I am now wondering whether I want to use my PB and DD as escorts to my convoys, or as dedicated ASW TF tagging along, or just stalking detected submarines. I am planning to try this new ASW doctrine : less escorts, more ASW task forces.

I don’t quite know what to do with my submarines. I probably need reorganize them in less but denser patrol areas, and make a clear distinction between their three possible roles : attack/harassment of enemy convoys, defense/picket duty off my possessions, and reconnaissance/picket duty off enemy bases.

I will come back in a few days with a strategy for my submarines. Here are my current thoughts about it.

First, I need to set up forward replenishment bases for my subs, right now I am basing subs in places where they can repair, this usually means far back. This is very inefficient.

Offensively, I probably need to go hunting in the Indian Ocean (around the Maldives?) now that Merak and Oosthaven are mine. Also, I am not being very successful stalking convoys in the Pacific. Yet, it seems clear enemy lanes run south of Pago Pago, towards South Autralia or New Zealand. I think this is the one place where I should concentrate. I will also maintain some presence around Hawaii, the US Coast, and Western Australia, but will probably reduce my forces in the Pacific (convoys there are needles in a haystack).

The main defense areas should be the bay of Bengal (protecting the Andamans and Burma, and a possible raid on northern Sumatra once I hold it), a Tulagi-Milne Bay line (protecting New Guinea and the Solomons), and, the western shore of Timor and Java (in case the enemy sends his carriers to bombard).

Finally, I want to set reconnaissance over the Aleutians. I don’t think I will invade, and I am building the Kuriles, but I want to know if something is brewing there. I want another recon force south of the Gilberts. This definitely is a possible targets in mid 1942, I don’t want to be surprised there. Finally, my main effort will be around Southern Australia, to spot enemy concentrations.

I am interested in advice about this. I have to admit I am a bit lost…

The war today

Over China, my bombers are doing a good job over Yenan and Wenchow. About 200 casualties are reported every day. This should make the task easier for my ground troops. I will be in Yenan in three days, and are fighting in Wenchow every other day.

In Wenchow, deliberate attacks still take heavy tolls on the Japanese attackers, but the force ratio is improving. Reinforcements are arriving in a couple of days, I will have 2000 AV against about 900 enemies. I believe I need a pair of weeks.

North of Nanning, the 64th corps was once more defeated and retreated into the jungle, towards Tuyun. Last reported AV strength was 5. I believe this unit is now harmless. My troops will now proceed on Nanning, and retake Liuchow.

Near Sian, Chinese reinforcements have shown up in Ankang. They will take the base back (I have left it abandoned). I am maneuvering in the plains north of Sian. Tanks have been ordered to cut the Sian Lanchow road, and my infantry is preparing to cross the Wei into the enemy base.

On Java, a first bombardment in Batavia revealed 300 enemy AV, against 150 mine. I have 50 more arriving, and a regiment embarking in Oosthaven, for Buitenzorg. The enemy might counterattack, but I doubt they can dislodge me. In Malang, another attack destroyed 30 enemy squads, and one unit.