The Good The Bad & The Indifferent

[Canoerebel]

3/6/45

Asia: Modest 4EB raid vs. Hokkaido. Situation satisfactory in Korea. Allies advancing in China.

The huge supply convoy is underway in the DEI.

With the diminution of Japanese carrier and combat capabilities in the last week, and with the supply now inbound to Korea, momentum is gathering. I think this is going to be the final push to auto-victory. Once the supply reaches Korea, it should take a month or maybe two, barring the wheels coming off.

I'll continue all other "ordinary course of business" matters just in case things don't work out as envisioned - the slow but steady move on Singapore, the pocketing and reduction of enemy stacks in China, and supply-line management throughout the Pacific. But I'll be surprised if the infrastructure (airfields and aircraft) and supply won't be sufficient to finish the drill.

What does John do with all the kamikazees he has and has never used? What about his carriers and combat ships? What about his army in Korea?

[Canoerebel]

3/7/45

Asia: Allied position in Korea stable, as is desired pending Death Star's return. John is loading up the peninsula but doesn't seem to feel pressed for time.

Supply is flowing again in China, so that the Allies are receiving more points for bases. As a result, the lead has increased to 54,000. I need 19,000 more points for AV. That's the first time the need has dropped below 20k.

For the first time since it was brought to his attention many months ago, John wrote that he could "do another turn without issue." As I noted those months ago, that nearly always means no turn as issues will arise. Let's see.

[HansBolter]

ORIGINAL: JohnDillworth

HQ units draw supply. Set up a conga line of HQ units all through China and up North and supply will follow

I have experimented with conga lines (not made of HQ units) in my current game to good effect.

I had a siege going one hex north of Kukong and couldn't get supply to flow there down the rail from Wuchang.
I formed a conga line of base forces and construction units and the turn after the line was completed supply flowed.

I did the same thing after advancing to Tavoy from Moulmien. My stack besieging Tavoy couldn't get supply, despite a hoard sitting at Moulmien.
I formed a conga line and the turn after it completed supply flowed.

I am simultaneously besieging Bangkok with my stack there suffering for supply because I haven't yet formed a conga line between Ayuthia and Piss-on-you-Bloke (Pisanuloke).

I have become a firm believer in conga lines to ensure supply flow.

[JohnDillworth]

yup, takes a bit to prime the pump but as long as you keep sending it to Rangoon it will eventually flow forward. When the supply first hits China it takes long time before all those Chinese units fill out to 1943 squads but it's a whole different war after that. Interesting how it played out in this game. Johns line held....until it didn't..and then the collapse came quickly. I expect Japanese supply was not really deep enough for prolonged resistance but by 1944 it's hard for the Empire to keep everybody in good sushi

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: JohnDillworth

yup, takes a bit to prime the pump but as long as you keep sending it to Rangoon it will eventually flow forward. When the supply first hits China it takes long time before all those Chinese units fill out to 1943 squads but it's a whole different war after that. Interesting how it played out in this game. Johns line held....until it didn't..and then the collapse came quickly. I expect Japanese supply was not really deep enough for prolonged resistance but by 1944 it's hard for the Empire to keep everybody in good sushi

That's OK, I hear Cap Mandrake has the recipe for fish-head soup! [:)]

[Canoerebel]

3/8/45

Asia: Allies gaining momentum.

The Herd: Death Star, Mini Death Star and The Mega Herd should merge tomorrow or the day after near Ternate. I think they're about 10 days out of Korea. I do think this is the decisive, penultimate convoy of the game. If it gets through I think I have the means to achieve auto victory.

[Canoerebel]

3/9/45

DEI: The mega rendezvous took place today. Death Star and the Herd proceed NW at the best speed possible. The empties that detached yesterday mostly arrived at or near Boela.

Merry Christmas to all who celebrate the Holy Day or the holiday. Yesterday was a day for family. All our children are at home. After church, the five of us drove east, eating lunch on the way, and then joined my wife's extended family (making for 45 people) at the old house in the country. We do this every year, eating a big breakfast (including country ham) for dinner. Then the long drive back home in the dark of Christmas Eve. My family of five is particularly close. We homeschooled our children from the beginning and spent a lot of time on family activies, including trips across the country. We enjoy talking now about politics and religion and sports and funny memories of things we've experienced together. My great-aunt was fond of saying that hers was "a family complete." I've been most fortunate to experience that (and coming from a broken home in which that most assuredly was not the case, it's even more meaningful).

Blessings to all of you. I hope the holiday season is merry and festive and not too frantic. May you all enjoy family and/or good friends. The AE Forum is a nice place to spend some time with good people.

Another post to follow in an hour or so.

[ny59giants]

Maps of China: It would help if you hit the "W" key with your screen shots here. I like the details you post, but it would be more beneficial if they included hexside control.

Thanks~!

[MakeeLearn]

7-24-365

[Canoerebel]

3/9/44

Korea: An IJ stack attacks and boots an Allied stack from a blocking position. This will force me to retire from Keijo and the base east of Gunzan in order to protect Gunzan. I didn't want that to happen - I preferred to begin from these places. But there's a chance that John will simply be sticking his head into a noose if he advances a massive army to Gunzan. It's going to be a close race between his army and Death Star's return. I think it's going to work out okay but I won't breathe easy until I know for sure.

China: Some similar things are ongoing in China, where John is advancing and has notions. He can accomplish some things in the short term, but I think long term he's going to weakend his army and expose it to destruction.

When Death Star returns with all that supply, Allied air power should become decisive in China and probably in Korea, though he's a bit better positioned to offer opposition there.

Death Star is about 55 hexes south of Gunzan - about nine days away. It'll probably takes John's units at least six days to reach Gunzan, perhaps meaningfully longer. I do think it's going to work out but I'll have to give this my full attention.

[Canoerebel]

3/9/45

Asia: Here's the hexside control perspective of things.

[MakeeLearn]

The Japanese 5th Division starts the war as one of the strongest and best equipped.

[Canoerebel]

3/10/45

Email from John this A.M.:

You wanted the land war in Asia.  It has taken me FOREVER to spread you out enough to give my Imperial Army a chance.  Well…buddy…lets go!  Here is the war in China and Korea.  It is simple.  Beat the Imperial Army here and you win the war.
 
Your Fleet is a long-assed ways away and I THINK I can beat you in the air…perhaps…more like give you a bloody nose.
 
Course everything is still humming along in the Home Islands economy…
 
We’ve got fightin’ attitude right now.
 
Can easily do another Sir!

[Canoerebel]

3/10/45

Asia: John is very excited about his counteroffensives in Korea and northern China. He has strong armies in both places and is on the advance. The situation is fluid, and I can't guarantee anything until Death Star and supply arrive. I'm pretty sure that this is the Bulge and that it will end the same way. He's pushing hard. Thus far he's engaged in three attacks (two in Korea, one in China) in which he outnumbered the Allies at least 4:1. One of those attacks failed (at Keijo, thanks to urban 4x) and the other two resulted in heavy disablements to his forces. He's strong and he's advancing but the forward Allied units are fighting well enough to seriously affect the strength of his units.

[Canoerebel]

3/10/45

Death Star: In need my carriers to move fast to Korea...but today they didn't move a single hex. I think they were frozen in place by TFs out of ops points due to heavy refueling ops yesterday. So right as John is feeling his oats something is amiss with my TFs. I hope they'll sort things out, but I'm taking a risk and sending Death Star on ahead. If it doesn't get ambushed it will therefore reach Korea perhaps three or four days quicker than it would have had it remained with the Herd. Needs. Problems. Complications. Countermeasures. How will it all play out?

[witpqs]

What is that Japan TF just west of Gunzan and how to you plan to clear it for the troop convoy?

[Canoerebel]

That's an MTB TF. Two USN combat TFs will sortie from Gunzan tonight, patrolling the hexes south and southwest of Gunzan.

[Canoerebel]

3/11/45

Asia: The short-term objective is to effectively manage things until Death Star and the Herd arrive. That means slowing John's advance where critical to do so. Today seemed effective in that regard.

[Canoerebel]

3/11/45

Death Star & The Herd: DS moves five hexes NW. The Herd remains stationary for no discernible reason. I'm taking further action tomorrow to try to break this weird logjam. To this point, I think this will turn out okay because John simply has no detection in this vicinity and hasn't in weeks.

[Crackaces]

I suspect the Herd is running into a risk tolerance threshold .. maybe somewhere there is the potential of air attack and tolerance is normal ?