Matrix Games Forums

[font="Times New Roman"]July 1-3, 1944[/font]

---

[font="Microsoft Sans Serif"]SUBS: [/font] The RO subs along the Arakan being to meet some Allied AMs and MTBs, so it's time to fade back toward Rangoon. I hope this makes him have to delay and build some convoys, plus add some surface protection to these, in order to keep supplying Ramree.

[font="Microsoft Sans Serif"]SW PAC: [/font] Bombing runs destroy the stragglers from Wewak before I had a good opportunity to interdict. Some LR CAP got picked off by a Corsair sweep on the 2nd and suffered 3:1 losses.

Some deep search is finding lots of activity around New Britain, but nothing conclusively looking like a big move forward coming yet.

[font="Microsoft Sans Serif"]BURMA: [/font]The Allies sweep Pisanoluke again, but this time with P-51B. I'd put a small additional Ki-100 group here, and they do okay against the first group, but the second has its way and leaves happy.

[font="Microsoft Sans Serif"]OZ: [/font] A busy day in the air on the 2nd as over Wessel Islands the Allied milk runs are jumped and they lose almost 20 Aussie B-25. The LR CAP gets hurt by another later Corsair sweep, but pilot losses are low thanks to friendly territory. [8D]
[font="Trebuchet MS"]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR July 2, 44
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Morning Air attack on Aitape , at 95,118

Weather in hex: Overcast

Raid detected at 33 NM, estimated altitude 33,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 12 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M8 Zero x 7
N1K2-J George x 28

Allied aircraft
F4U-1A Corsair x 34

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M8 Zero: 4 destroyed
N1K2-J George: 11 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
F4U-1A Corsair: 3 destroyed

CAP engaged:
331 Ku S-1 with A6M8 Zero (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 7 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 7000 , scrambling fighters between 0 and 7000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 2 minutes
Ryuho-1 with N1K2-J George (28 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
28 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 9000 , scrambling fighters between 0 and 9000.
Raid is overhead

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on 6th Indpt SNLF Coy , at 83,126 (Wessel Islands)

Weather in hex: Thunderstorms

Raid spotted at 8 NM, estimated altitude 7,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 2 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M5 Zero x 4
A6M5b Zero x 5
Ki-43-IIIa Oscar x 10
Ki-84a Frank x 7

Allied aircraft
Mitchell II x 15

No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
Mitchell II: 10 destroyed, 1 damaged

Aircraft Attacking:
1 x Mitchell II bombing from 6000 feet
Ground Attack: 6 x 500 lb GP Bomb

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on 6th Indpt SNLF Coy , at 83,126 (Wessel Islands)

Weather in hex: Thunderstorms

Raid spotted at 19 NM, estimated altitude 10,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 5 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M5 Zero x 1
A6M5b Zero x 1
Ki-43-IIIa Oscar x 2
Ki-84a Frank x 3

Allied aircraft
Mitchell II x 16

No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
Mitchell II: 4 destroyed, 2 damaged

Aircraft Attacking:
11 x Mitchell II bombing from 8000 feet
Ground Attack: 6 x 500 lb GP Bomb

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on Pisanuloke , at 58,57

Weather in hex: Partial cloud

Raid spotted at 39 NM, estimated altitude 34,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 10 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-43-IIIa Oscar x 22
Ki-45 KAIa Nick x 9
Ki-100-I Tony x 6

Allied aircraft
P-51B Mustang x 26

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-43-IIIa Oscar: 1 destroyed
Ki-45 KAIa Nick: 1 destroyed
Ki-100-I Tony: 2 destroyed

No Allied losses

Aircraft Attacking:
1 x P-51B Mustang sweeping at 31000 feet *

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Afternoon Air attack on Wessel Islands , at 83,126

Weather in hex: Light cloud

Raid spotted at 4 NM, estimated altitude 34,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 1 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M5 Zero x 4
A6M5b Zero x 4
Ki-43-IIIa Oscar x 8
Ki-84a Frank x 6

Allied aircraft
F4U-1A Corsair x 15

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M5 Zero: 1 destroyed
A6M5b Zero: 2 destroyed
Ki-43-IIIa Oscar: 5 destroyed
Ki-84a Frank: 1 destroyed

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[/font]

---

[font="Trebuchet MS"] [/font]

---

[font="Times New Roman"]GAME ON [/font]

---

We're back on track as a fix to the movement of the big stack in Burma works! [&o]

Nice. Now I just have to figure out why they moved where they are, and what they're doing next. [;)]

Late congrats to your hopefully healthy offspring

But Violet ? Jill,Judy,Jean,Kate,Valerie,Betty,Anne,Sonia,Grace......so many great names and you picked Violet ?

Where is his big movement?

ORIGINAL: Gräfin Zeppelin

Late congrats to your hopefully healthy offspring

But Violet ? Jill,Judy,Jean,Kate,Valerie,Betty,Anne,Sonia,Grace......so many great names and you picked Violet ?

[:D][:D]

Actually, Lily isn't too bad. [:)]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

Where is his big movement?

Sorry. Here is the map showing a poster and some arrows for it's possible movement.

Ugh, no stacking limits. I hate the super stacks. I also dislike how Burma is just a magnet for pulling in uber troops, and while I am at it, I dislike how China falls which kind of creates an uber Burma.

Ok, I am done.[:)]

Does no one understand the concept of "defense in depth?" There is nothing that makes me happier than seeing my opponent accumulate some stupid big stack. First off, it is a walking supply disaster just waiting to be exploited and second, it is easily isolated, but one must have a defense in depth to isolate it.

Who cares if stupid, big stack takes a city? Is Rangoon worth 56 units? What reasonable person thinks that any 1 hex on the map is worth 56 units? (WiTP Manual page 251) "To order a ground unit move to a specific hex, the path of the move must generate a positive supply value to constitute a valid supply path." Whereever stupid, big stack goes, just engulf it. Once the stupid, big stack is completely isolated and engulfed, it is effectively destroyed. One doesn't even need to attack it or enter its hex. Just defend in depth... not a 1 hex line of defense... a 2 hex line of defense.

ORIGINAL: Aurorus

Does no one understand the concept of "defense in depth?" There is nothing that makes me happier than seeing my opponent accumulate some stupid big stack. First off, it is a walking supply disaster just waiting to be exploited and second, it is easily isolated, but one must have a defense in depth to isolate it.

Who cares if stupid, big stack takes a city? Is Rangoon worth 56 units? What reasonable person thinks that any 1 hex on the map is worth 56 units? (WiTP Manual page 251) "To order a ground unit move to a specific hex, the path of the move must generate a positive supply value to constitute a valid supply path." Whereever stupid, big stack goes, just engulf it. Once the stupid, big stack is completely isolated and engulfed, it is effectively destroyed. One doesn't even need to attack it or enter its hex. Just defend in depth... not a 1 hex line of defense... a 2 hex line of defense.

But it only makes a "supply disaster" in and of itself with optional stacking limits. Without them, the supply issues are eased until you do manage to cut off the stack.

On a rail line and major road that stack won't run out of supply. It will attack straight down to Pegu cutting off the Tuang Gyi defenders to a dirt road. Isolating whatever is west in Rangoon and threatening taking the river crossing to Moulmein (which should be very difficult normally).

In a scenario 1 stock game...that is a horrendous threat. No amount of defense in depth will save you as you simply don't have the troops. I do wish Obvert had two divisions digging in SE and E of Pegu. I sure hope he has lots of artillery and good forts.

That stack is roughly 9000 AV...using Alfred's old rule...but with 3000 vehicles. I think the most I ever faced in this area was 2400 but could be mistaken...it will be a juggernaut.

Regarding names, and completely off topic, my Gran had the best name ever.

Prudence Birtwhistle, better known to me as Grandma Pru

I wonder how many kids are called Betty and Mavis these days!

My husband came up with Oskar for our son. I said I would rather have a Frank. Sadly he didnt get the joke.

ORIGINAL: Encircled

Regarding names, and completely off topic, my Gran had the best name ever.

Prudence Birtwhistle, better known to me as Grandma Pru

I wonder how many kids are called Betty and Mavis these days!

Isnt Betty completly out of fashion in the Anglosphere ?

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

On a rail line and major road that stack won't run out of supply. It will attack straight down to Pegu cutting off the Tuang Gyi defenders to a dirt road. Isolating whatever is west in Rangoon and threatening taking the river crossing to Moulmein (which should be very difficult normally).

In a scenario 1 stock game...that is a horrendous threat. No amount of defense in depth will save you as you simply don't have the troops. I do wish Obvert had two divisions digging in SE and E of Pegu. I sure hope he has lots of artillery and good forts.

That stack is roughly 9000 AV...using Alfred's old rule...but with 3000 vehicles. I think the most I ever faced in this area was 2400 but could be mistaken...it will be a juggernaut.

Is it actually 9000 AV?

In any case, I think the biggest advantage to these "super stacks" is simply that I can be lazy with them.

It's also easy to cross a river to Moulmein and get thrashed, ruining an entire theater's worth of troops in a single day for months. It's not without disadvantages, particularly in maneuvering.

ORIGINAL: Gräfin Zeppelin

My husband came up with Oskar for our son. I said I would rather have a Frank. Sadly he didnt get the joke.

That is ok, my wife wouldn't have gotten either if I mentioned it.[:D]

Isnt Betty completly out of fashion in the Anglosphere ?

Yeah, along with a great many other things these days sadly.

ORIGINAL: witpqs

ORIGINAL: Aurorus

Does no one understand the concept of "defense in depth?" There is nothing that makes me happier than seeing my opponent accumulate some stupid big stack. First off, it is a walking supply disaster just waiting to be exploited and second, it is easily isolated, but one must have a defense in depth to isolate it.

Who cares if stupid, big stack takes a city? Is Rangoon worth 56 units? What reasonable person thinks that any 1 hex on the map is worth 56 units? (WiTP Manual page 251) "To order a ground unit move to a specific hex, the path of the move must generate a positive supply value to constitute a valid supply path." Whereever stupid, big stack goes, just engulf it. Once the stupid, big stack is completely isolated and engulfed, it is effectively destroyed. One doesn't even need to attack it or enter its hex. Just defend in depth... not a 1 hex line of defense... a 2 hex line of defense.

But it only makes a "supply disaster" in and of itself with optional stacking limits. Without them, the supply issues are eased until you do manage to cut off the stack.

I've faced bigger stacks in my game against Jocke. He had 500k+ troops in one hex in Burma. The dangers are there with a stack, but "engulfing: it is not an option. You can't engulf these units in any kind of diverse terrain with roads zig-zagging through everything. He could just split off a part of the stack and defend a hex you're trying to engulf him from. The terrain is just as good defensively fro him, and Japanese troops should not be attacking Allied troops at this stage of the war.

The danger of a stack is that if it goes down a slow road but can't break through. you've lost a lot of time. Jocke's stack didn't get through until he threatened the rear coastline. Then he only got through because I was stupid and didn't defend my rear retreat path aggressively enough.

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

On a rail line and major road that stack won't run out of supply. It will attack straight down to Pegu cutting off the Tuang Gyi defenders to a dirt road. Isolating whatever is west in Rangoon and threatening taking the river crossing to Moulmein (which should be very difficult normally).

In a scenario 1 stock game...that is a horrendous threat. No amount of defense in depth will save you as you simply don't have the troops. I do wish Obvert had two divisions digging in SE and E of Pegu. I sure hope he has lots of artillery and good forts.

That stack is roughly 9000 AV...using Alfred's old rule...but with 3000 vehicles. I think the most I ever faced in this area was 2400 but could be mistaken...it will be a juggernaut.

Is it actually 9000 AV?

In any case, I think the biggest advantage to these "super stacks" is simply that I can be lazy with them.

It's also easy to cross a river to Moulmein and get thrashed, ruining an entire theater's worth of troops in a single day for months. It's not without disadvantages, particularly in maneuvering.

I'd say it's 5-6k AV, but that does look like a lot of tanks, so could be slightly more.

Attacking in x3 terrain can also prove dangerous if the defenders get dug-in. Even Toungoo in x2 with level 6 forts should be tough at x2 + x2.25 = x4.25

I suspect he's trying to go around Toungoo, which is great because it'll take forever, and those hexes are all x3 around there. If he goes for Chang Mai, he'd still have to deal with a river into x3 territory. I might only be able to get 2k AV there, but a river crossing into x3 with poor supply paths is not a great prospect.

[font="Times New Roman"]GROUND REINFORCEMENTS[/font]

---

The mid portion of 44 involves a lot of new Japanese troops arriving to help the cause. Most of them aren't strong brigades or divisions, but 110-160 AV sized regiments or independent brigades. There are a few larger ones, and a few brigades that combine to form divisions. Most of those are in Burma with their component part now joining them.

This is a list of the units arriving for the next few months. Things dry up for the later part of 44 so I have to plan well for defence in depth along the current axis of invasion up New Guinea and pointing toward the PI. There is a lot of fort building but almost no troops in the PI yet. I'll plop a few brigades onto Mindanao, and then I've got three under-priced divisions that I haven't let fill out I plan to buy for Luzon to start things off there. I've also moved fragments from Hollandia and will do the same with Sarmi troops, so that when they're beaten or bypassed I can either fly out more or rebuild destroyed units in Manila.

I also need a DEI reserve, and some of the combining brigades will be sent there to get a 1k AV reserve for quick deployment. I'm just about done building forts outside of the 20 hex area around the HI, and soon that means I'll probably be able to hoard some supply in the area. Due to the distance for B-29s currently, there is no threat of the industry getting knocked out soon. This is the reason to keep fighting hard in Burma, in OZ and around the approaches to the DEI. The longer I have working oil and some additional HI/LI centres producing, the less supply has to be moved out of the HI.

The incomplete arriving units highlighted are targets to buy out for the DEI reserve.

4th Tank Brigade*

That unit is misnamed.