Matrix Games Forums

1/14/44 and 1/15/44
 
Burma:  The newly reconstituted RN combat TF, which includes BB Queen Elizabeth and BC Renown, caught a Japanese transport convoy at Moulmein and sank six xAK, one AMC and one SC.  The Japanese suffered about 600 ground troop casualties - I assume these were reinforcements.  The Allied army rested and will try a deliberate attack tomorrow.  Since forts are zero I have some hope, but any IJA reinforcents could change the equation.  Either way, though, I doubt Moulmein can hold out much longer.  A fresh Indian division will arrive in about two weeks.
 
DEI:  Even while the Allies have been busy with important but not large operations - invasions of Namlea and Talaud Island being the most important - activity had to be scaled back while a large number of transports made the journeys to Pearl Harbor and San Diego to retrieve reinforcements.  Most of those ships are nearly back, so the pace of operations will both pick up speed and increase in size and complexity.  In the week or two remaining before I have to pull the trigger on the invasion of Ternate, here's what's going to happen:  (1)  I think Dadjangas, an important base on Mindanao, is vacant or lightly held.  The Allies will try a quick and relatively low-risk invasion within the week.  The units will include a Marine regiment and a Brit or Assie brigade.  These units will load at Morotai and use two-day turns to make a quick and hopefully unexpected stab.  If this move is not successful, the Allies will almost certainly proceed with the invasion of Ternate.  If, however, the Allies get a solid lodgement on Mindanao at Dadjangas it could change the equation.  That could open up the theater to a more powerful move on Mindanao and adjacent islands, in which case the Allies might cancel or indefinately postpone the invasion of Ternate.  (2)  Long term I have decided that the Allied vector of attack will be north rather than west.  The troops prepping for Kendari will change target to Koepang (needed to secure the Allied flank from a surprise attack).  I'm not yet sure about Ternate and Manado - lots of troops prepping for both points.  They might be diverted to Mindanao if conditions for an Allied blitzkrieg develop.  If such conditions don't develop it's much more likely the Allies will stick with the original plan. 

Well, entirely your choice of course but no matter how clear you felt you were it is clear that you weren't clear enough for your opponent. To add an attack in on top of this is highly questionable IMO.

He requested a three-day ceasefire, but I've granted two weeks.

Well, it is your choice. I know, however, that if I thought a region was quiescent with the agreement of my opponent any non-negotiated change in said region would be a serious issue for me.

With that said I'd probably never agree to make a region quiescent, irrespective of whether or not its inactivity would benefit or hinder me. My view is that agricultural China impacts every other region even if that region is 5,000 miles away.

You have made the correct choice in the China cease-fire - After all if is a friendly game, and your sportsmanship is and relationship with your opponent is more important then victory.

Nemo, I'm pretty sure we share a common language, but I'll be durned if I understand what you're getting at. Are you saying that offering a two-week cease-fire after my opponent requested at least three days isn't sufficient? If that's the case, I don't understand why, but perhaps I'll just cancel the entire thing rather than somehow, someway do something that somebody doesn't like.

Don't pay attention to the peanut gallery. To give 4-5 times what was asked for is generous. To give only what was asked for is no cause for complaint, but probably a little stingy.
 
Everybody has their own view of the exact parameters of the best practices - what the game requires + house rules v. authenticity, how to respond to over-intrusive questions from an opponent (review Nemo's AAR and the extended discussion), etc. It's like the differences between French and American standards of what is courteous.
 
If you've done more than your opponent asks, and what you're comfortable with, stand proud and move on.

Canoerebel,

You specifically asked for input from those who felt you mightn't be giving enough time. I ONLY posted after you had SPECIFICALLY asked for such viewpoints. If you then have an issue with hearing such input then don't ask for it.

MY personal view is that if I thought a ceasefire was in place and found an opponent breaching it I would consider resigning the game. But that's an outgrowth of my own approach to the game in which who wins isn't important but playing to the nth degree is... and a previous life playing chess somewhat competitively. But everyone's different. I like minimal rules games and so the thought of myself or an opponent calling a ceasefire in a theatre for any reason other than to increase the challenge later is anathema. Most people don't like that sort of game so what will suit in one situation won't in another. Still, the opinion was asked for and it was only in that circumstance that it was given.


Obviously your mileage may vary and if you are comfortable with what you are doing then that's fine. Just because I wouldn't continue the game doesn't mean your opponent won't. Hell, it doesn't even mean he'll be unhappy. Different strokes for different folks and all that. BUT you asked for others' opinions and so I, in response to your request, responded.

Nemo, I do welcome comments.  I just wasn't sure what you were saying.  You just clarified yourself sufficiently that I understand.  Thanks for speaking up.

Ok, I'm glad that's clarified. The net lends itself to misinterpretation so easily.

Anyways, I look forward to this game continuing. It is an interesting situation.

1/16/44 and 1/17/44
 
Moulmein:  Back-to-back Allied deliberate attacks come in at 1:1 and 1:2 and cost the Japanese far more in casualties.  The city is close to falling, but not quite there.  The Allied troops are quite disrupted and will need at least two, and perhaps as many as four, days rest to recover for the next attack.  Unless reinforcements arrive before then the city should fall.

China:  It appears that Miller is using the ceasefire to withdraw troops from more exposed frontline positions including Liuchow and Hengyang.  That's fine as it permits the Allies to take those bases and move on to the next objectives.  More importantly, I think this will force Miller to devote more attention, troops, and supplies to China.  I really don't care if the Allies accomplish little or nothing as long as they tie down a decent amount of Japanese forces.

DEI:  The Allies will recon Dadjangas, Mindanao, tomorrow.  If lightly held they will proceed with a quick invasion effort.  This will be backed up by eight CVEs since CAP will be hard to come by (Talaud Island's airbases is still a  level one).  Base building goes well in this region, so if the Allied end up invading Ternate as planned there should be plenty of land-based CAP.  6th Division arrives at Darwin tomorrow.  The final transport convoy in what has been a long train of convoys will reach Townsville tomorrow.  By the time it arrives at Darwin, I'll know whether I'm proceeding with the invasion of Ternate or, instead, shifting focus to a rapid move on Mindanao.

Kamikazee:  Thirty Frances torpedo bombers hit an ASW TF at Akyab.  Torpedoes sank a DE and a KV.  Two kamikazee destroyed a PG.  I don't know if this means that kamikazees have been activated, or if this unit was on a straightforward naval strike mission when two pilots went bezerk.  If kamikazees have been activated, Miller was aiming for a strike against the RN BB/BC TF that just hit Japanese shipping at Moulmein, but it had withdraw to Chittagong to reprovision.

KB:  No sign of the KB since the Japanese operation to reinforce Ambon back in November.

1/18/44 and 1/19/44
 
Moulmein:  The Allied troops will need two more days to recover sufficiently from their last attack before trying again.  There's a decent chance that Moulmein will fall within the week.  Then Miller has a choice - defend Tavoy and the Malay peninsula or head east to Bangkok.  The Allies will divide forces (and allocate reinforcements on the way) to press Tavoy, but the bulk of the force will aim for Bangkok.  It seems that Miller has pulled out his air forces since Allied bombers hit Tavoy and Moulmein without opposition.  I'm guessing that he's transferred the aircraft to the DEI.
 
DEI:  Dadjangas (on Mindanao) is lightly held by one unit about 2k strong, so Allied transports at Morotai are loading 7th Marines, 1st Marine Tanks, and an engineering unit.  I may try a snap invasion of Dadjangas in a few days - counting on suprrise, speed, and two day turns to get the troops ashore despite what could be massive opposition from Japanese air and naval forces.
 
KB:  I'm wondering if Miller isn't orchestrating a surprise attack of some sort - combing the KB and land-based air (including aircraft stripped from Burma?) to bring massive force to bear on a single point.  I can't provide absolute protection for the myriad Allied bases in the region, but I've tried to shore things up so that such an attack wouldn't be devastating.  The main precaution was to ensure that Darwin - with its abundance of transports, combat ships, and carriers - is adequately protected.  With about 250 fighters at the base plus those on the CVLs and CVEs, I think so.
 
SWPac:  Troops at Townsville are prepping for Port Moresby.  Miller has pulled out most of the garrison, so I should be able to pick up this base once I have ships available.

1/20/44 to 1/23/44
 
Moulmein:  While the Allied army was recovering from disruption, the Japanese army vacated Moulmein, withdrawing along to road to the south.  The Allies took the base on the 22nd.  Thus, primarily through maneuver, the Allies have taken Rangoon, Pegu, and Moulmein in a matter of a few months.  The campaign continues, but it's worth a brief moment of satisfaction on what has been accomplished up to this point.

What's Next for the Japanese:  Looking at the road network south of Moulmein, the only move that makes sense to me is for the Japanese army to move to Bangkok.  By doing so, the Japanese essentially will concede Tavoy, but I don't think they have a choice.  The Nippon army should be in bad shape after three successive defeats.

What's Next for the Allies:  Some of the Allied units at Moulmein are in rough shape and badly in need of extended recovery and rebuilding, especially the smaller Indian units and the Chinese divisions.  But the big Indian divisions are strong and reinforcements are on the way.  A small Allied army will invest Tavoy while a larger Allied army may move directly on Bangkok, or may take an alternate road system further north that would take them to the city adjacent to and just north of Bangkok.  If successful in taking this city, it would permit the Allies to continue advancing east toward Vietnam without getting tied down to a campaign for Bangkok.  Since the ultimate objective is to reach the shores of the South China Sea, that may be my preference (unless Miller makes a mistake of vast dimensions and elects to retreat to Tavoy instead of Bangkok, in which case I'll move quickly on the latter).

China:  Ceasefire will end in about a week and the Japanese appear to be withdrawing from Liuchow and Hengyang.

DEI:  I sent two CVE TFs toward the straights between Nalmea and the Moluccas to see if I could scare up anything.  I think the bait worked because scores of Japanese fighters and strike aircraft sortied...but by then the CVEs had pulled back.  The Japanese raid accordingly diverted against the mass of shipping at Morotai.  BB Massachusetts took two hits from Kamikazee plus three torpedoes.  She's not in too bad shape, actually, and I'm going to try to get her to Boela, a more secure base, over the next few days.  CA Suffolk suffered light damage and an xAP suffered heavy damage.  Quite a bee hive.  The Japanese lost alot of aircraft, though.

Dadjangas vs. Ternate:  Miller just reinforced Dadjangas, so I'm scrubbing the snap invasion.  Instead, the massive Allied invasion force currently at Darwin will begin loading for Ternate in two days.  While I'd prefer not to get bogged down in a lengthy siege of this stoutly garrisoned base, the fact that its location is strategically important, the size of its airfield (five), and the fact that I can offer my ships a fair amount of LRCAP from the plethora of nearby Allied bases makes it the best option in my evaluation.  In other words, the Allies are going to choose smaller, more secure steps over bolder, much more risky leaps against less defended bases.

I'm enjoying this AAR. Seems like we've taken a similar approach, although your opponent appears to have held onto Port Moresby longer than mine did. Your pace in the DEI is faster than I achieved.

1/24/44 and 1/25/44
 
Burma:  I cannot fathom this, but it appears that the Japanese army is withdrawing south towards Tavoy rather than east towards Bangkok.  This makes no sense because Tavoy is at the end of a dead-end road, meaning supply and evacuation can only be accomplished by sea.  It also means that a large Allied army can move on what seems to be a lightly garrisoned Bangkok.  Maybe I'm missing something, or maybe Miller has other reinforcements nearing Bangkok.  If not...Wow!  On a separate note, a Chindit unit will try a para-assault on lightly garrisoned Raeheng tomorrow. 
 
Operation Kennesaw Mountain (Invasion of Ternate):  I believe this will be the largest invasion force I've ever assembled.  In fact, it's so large that the Allies cannot tote everybody in a single lift.  The Allies have 3000+ AV prepped for Ternate, including five divisions and two-plus division equivalents.  The best I'll be able to manage in the first wave is three divisions (two U.S. and one Aussie) and a UK brigade, for approximately 1430 AV.  The first wave will also include an HQ, two combat engineers, three field artillery units, and two anti-tank units.  These units have begun loading aboard transports at Darwin.  They'll be facing 40,000 Japanese troops - probably close to two divisions that are likely well-entrenched but low on supply.  D-Day is probably in two weeks.
 
Operation Alatoona Pass (Invasion of Manado):  If Kennesaw Mountain goes well, the Allies will promptly follow with the invasion of Manado, which is equally stoutly defended.  In that operation, however, the Allies will not make a landing directly at the enemy-held hex.  There's a dot hex adjacent to Manado and connected by road, so the Allies will land there.

A few more words about the invasion of Ternate.  Will Miller use his carriers or not?  This is of tremendous importance in this case, because the Allies can't afford to lose a signficant number of troop transports.  I'm way too short on them. 

I believe that the sizeable number of Allied air bases in the vicinity of Ternate can provide sufficient LRCAP to adequately protect the invasion fleet against land-based air.  But carrier strikes could overwhelm my defenses, so I'll commit the Allied CVE fleet - some 10 to 12 CVE.

The Allies will have but two battleships available - North Carolina and Alabama.  Miller definately has two available, but some of his battle-damaged BBs may be ready for action at this point.

So this operation could result in a titanic engagement...or not.  I'll have to assume that it will, but there's a chance Miller won't wish to commit his combat ships and carriers with so many Allied air bases in the vicinity.  That would be nice.

What kind of anti-ship aircraft do you have at your land air bases if the KB or a few BB's show up?

Good question, John. The answer reveals my approach to handling a dilemma.

At the moment, the Allies have about five SBD squadrons and one or two TBF squadrons at forward bases. They've picked off a handful of Japanese transports and escorts in recent weeks, so Miller knows they're there.

When the invasion transports approach Ternate, I'll withdraw all strike aircraft and insert the maximum number of fighters. I'm doing this for two reasons:

1) Miller can put a tremendous number of aircraft at any one point, so I need max LRCAP capability.

2) A relative handful of strike aircraft (even, say, 150 SBD and TBF) would get chewed up anyway, with escorts or without escorts.

So I feel like I'm better off putting all my marbles in the CAP bucket with the hope that Miller's awareness of strike aircraft will carry over for awhile.

Tough choice and I wish you well. If I had an HQ in range and Avengers I would be temped to try and leave some torpedo aircraft up front. I understand your position. You just can't sacrifice any transports, but keep em close in case he wants to follow you down.

As you have indicated having a shortage of invasion shipping, aircraft carriers and heavy naval units in general, reconsider another land / land based air campaign. That place is Java. It directly threatens one of his major sources of oil - Soerabaja. You have the land forces to start it - five divisions and supporting units. This is less then the six I originally recommended but is most likely for a good start. You also indicate that you have excess strike aircraft, and here you can employee them.
With the direct push into French Indo-China you complete the isolation of Malaya and Sumatra. The oil sources along the west coast of Borneo become vulnerable to either an Island hopping campaign or direct assault. The other benefit of this drive is after the initial lodgment your fleet is then free for another drive or reconstruction / rehabilitation. You can then drive up the coast to Formosa bypassing the Philippines if you so choose.