GJ (Allies) - Mr.Kane (Japan) - The allies declare their defeat

[Cribtop]

Great discussion, guys.

Castor, yes, John III pulled off what you describe by invading Oz immediately at the two bases next to Sydney, surprising the Allied player and taking the heavy urban hexes before they could be effectively garrisoned. Such a plan could in theory work in either India or Oz, but now the cat's out of the bag on this strategy, I suspect Allied players will secure the UH hexes as job one, making their capture virtually impossible.

PS - If we are saying that stacking limits stop Japanese conquest of places way beyond their capabilities like Oz, India, and China; AND if we say that it prevents US Death Star glob invasions of bases with unstoppable force in the late game and Commonwealth Death Star invasions of Burma in '42, it sounds like stacking limits are a net plus in the realism department.

[GreyJoy]

ORIGINAL: Cribtop

PS - If we are saying that stacking limits stop Japanese conquest of places way beyond their capabilities like Oz, India, and China; AND if we say that it prevents US Death Star glob invasions of bases with unstoppable force in the late game and Commonwealth Death Star invasions of Burma in '42, it sounds like stacking limits are a net plus in the realism department.

+1

I've played both sides with Stacking limits and i can honestly say that i won't even play again without them, no matter the side.

[GreyJoy]

June 7, 1942

The japanese are redeploying again in China. As soon as he masses his armies for another vector, i manage to use interior lines to assemble mine own armies and position in the right place. So far we've managed to hold him everywhere. His tanks are now all North, near Yenan.... I think he may try to push for the dirt northern road that leads to Lanchow... am already moving my reserves North, while the area of Chikkiang, after several weeks of tough battles, seems to be now stable, with the japanese divisions pulling back.

All my reinforcements are now unloaded at Karachi, under the escort of 3 american CVs. Now it's time to start pushing towards Burma. Will need few more months, but the threat is now gone and it's my turn to test his defences.

Transfering several air groups to Tarawa and Tabiutea, which are now developed enough to recieve them

[crsutton]

ORIGINAL: ny59giants

The 800 lb gorilla in the Pacific continues to be the USA. Dealing her a serious blow is hard to do. Some have tried the Aleutians and/or Hawaii route with minimal success. An invasion of India or Australia can set the war back for some time, but unless you are playing a version of Scenario 2 (DBB 30), it is hard to accomplish. Like GJ stated, it may be better to stay near historical expansion and become an effective counter puncher to make the reconquest very expensive for the Allies.

Yes, and it is really impossible to hurt the Americans unless the Allied player screws the pooch and lets you do it. I admire my JFB friends. It is not easy playing Japan.

[GreyJoy]

Back from a long week end in Sardinia (not bad!), the war is back on track.

July 7-27 1942

Japan is turtling. All the divisions involved in the Indian campaign are now getting to their inner perimeter (a good strategy IMHO!). Divisions and Army HQs are reported at Guam, Saipan, Tinian, Timor, Kuriles, Rabaul area and the Saumlaki area (North of Darwin).
That means he doesn't want to fight on the outer perimeter... That is both good and bad but it's good to know what is waiting in front of us.

The KB arrived in the Marshalls and did a very unsuccesfull campaign against Tarawa and Tabiutea.
Our LBA was harrassing his TFs evacuating from Suva. We've even moved there a SAG composed by CA Luisville +6 Porter Class DDs... the KB arrived and attacked, but the LBA CAP from Tabiutea, composed of 4 USMC Squadrons of Buffalos and F4F-3s did wonders and downed more than 50 KB planes (and pilots). The Luisville got light damage from 5 bombs but nothing more.... and the KB retired to the shadows North of Eniwetok. Good. Tarawa was attacked by LBAs, but our AAs downed most of them and didn't achieve anything other than sinking 2 Acms

We're now ready to invade Scoodra, held by 25,000 japanese....by now left alone

We've conquered back the Whole India (Madras included)and our divisions are already pushing from Assam to Burma. Cylon will be invaded soon.

Cocos Island is now unmolested and will be built up to its max

[GreyJoy]

Forgot to say... In China... well, no more Attacks in China... i still think he will try to push in the North, but not am not so sure as i was... maybe he-s just turtling in China too... we-ll see. However, in any case, i'm moving my reserves to occupy key positions North of Sian...just to be sure

[Crackaces]

You opponent even took Socotra, which is a good move, but still fell way short, despite getting to Bombay in a pretty quick timeframe; it's probably impossible to get there in force much before the end of April, and he arrived in mid-May.

Just to say, njp72 started the siege in our game mid February on Turn 75. The speed of the advance and interdiction of the KB prohibited the Aussies from making landfall and I am defending Bombay with a minimal of forces. However, I gathered forces along with LOC's to Bombay and the IJ forces are cutoff for now. The IJ's main concern at this point is to open an LOC.

The forces do not have to be marched. Simply para-dropping forces to advanced bases and strat move forces forward, and the blitzkrieg begins ... So, It is quite possible to start sieging Bombay as early as mid February ... even so, the basic problem of getting 2:1 and taking Bombay remains ..

One thing this kind of attack does .. it stops Bombay from producing and after the battle the factories are in ruins .. whether this makes a difference in April 1944 remains to be seen ..

[witpqs]

In Babes I bet it does. The supply situation in and to India is quite different from stock. You must bring in supply to support big offensives in and beyond Burma.

[GreyJoy]

in my Game Bombay factories aren't in ruin at all. If he doesn't strat bomb, and if he doesn't conquer the city, the industries will remain intact when Japan Leaves the area and retreats

However witpqs is right: in DBB the supply and fuel situation in India is very different from stock. The industries there produces barely enough to sustain the Indian army without fighting. You need to ship fuel and supplies from CT, Aden and Abadan in order to keep an army in fighting conditions in Assam/Burma

[Crackaces]

ORIGINAL: GreyJoy

in my Game Bombay factories aren't in ruin at all. If he doesn't strat bomb, and if he doesn't conquer the city, the industries will remain intact when Japan Leaves the area and retreats

However witpqs is right: in DBB the supply and fuel situation in India is very different from stock. The industries there produces barely enough to sustain the Indian army without fighting. You need to ship fuel and supplies from CT, Aden and Abadan in order to keep an army in fighting conditions in Assam/Burma

This is my first BigBabes affair .. very revealing advice .. thank you very much for the heads up ...Only if the city gets occupied does industry take a random hit .. also it is good to know that I have to get supplies to India to do anything ..

The KB is not going to let me supply through the one and only port left .. You have a better situation right now in many respects ..

[Cribtop]

Does Japan's apparent retreat to the inner perimeter create any opportunities for dislocative offensives? Particularly an offensive with the eventual goal of interdicting oil and fuel shipments? It is perhaps too soon to stick your neck out, but is there somewhere you can take on the cheap that forms the launch point for a later decisive move? He's vulnerable while retreating for a time, but will form up again at the Rhine like the Germans after the Normandy breakout.

[GreyJoy]

ORIGINAL: Cribtop

Does Japan's apparent retreat to the inner perimeter create any opportunities for dislocative offensives? Particularly an offensive with the eventual goal of interdicting oil and fuel shipments? It is perhaps too soon to stick your neck out, but is there somewhere you can take on the cheap that forms the launch point for a later decisive move? He's vulnerable while retreating for a time, but will form up again at the Rhine like the Germans after the Normandy breakout.

Yes and no Crib. Japan is vulnerable now, but the allies aren't strong enough to do anything spectacular...and there isn't anything cheap left to take easily.
I managed to counterattack and reconquer the New Caledonia and Tarawa-Tabiutea while he was retreating from India, but now with the KB back in the pacific he's just waiting for me to do something like that....
Moreover, my logistic is still terrible. Australia is barely surviving in terms of fuel and supplies and so is NZ...i need to estabilish a decent convoy system (pretty hard with the reduced cargo capabilities of this mod).
I'm now aiming at getting everything in the right places for the second half od the year. In the meanwhile we'll conquer Socodra and Colombo, thus putting a definitive end to his indian dream, while our Brit and Indian divisions are positioning on the Burma border.
His strategy is sound, i know, but he there are simply not enough divisions to do that... too many dot bases around to defend them all properly.

The good news is that the allied fleet is completely intact and now the initiative is shifting back to our hands

[GreyJoy]

June 30, 1942

Turns are flowing fast, without much happening. I just realized that, before I can start anything worth in Burma I first need to develop all the Assam bases (they all a
have a very small cap for supply flow). I didn't do that before because all my forces were turtled in Bombay, Calcutta and Karachi and so I had no engineers to spare there. Now they are growing, but the net needed to be developed is huge and some time is needed.
Nothing much to report, a part from the fact that i'm building all my next vectors of advance. Attu-Addak in the north, Tarawa-Tabiutea-PagoPago - Canton - Baker etc in CENTPAC, New Caledonia in SOPAC, HornIsland - Cooktown and Portland Roads in SWPAC, Cocos in I.O., Burma-Diego-India in BIC. Lots of troops, planes, ships with supplies and fuel are shifting around, while Lex and Sara are upgrading and the rest of my CVs are lurking in the shades

[GreyJoy]

August 04, 1942

The only active theatres are, nowdays, Burma and China.

In Burma we pushed back the Japanese out of Assam and we managed to put our first feet in Central Burma, conquering Kalemyo (Mytikina and Wazrup have always remained in our hands). He's massing his units in the plains. I count already 5 divisions there. 150 Helens and 100 Tojos, every day, bomb our bases in Assam... we're not giving him the fight he's looking for. We're not trying to CAP... don't wanna give him easy kills.... his raids are causing just minor nuiances and my armies keep on marching south, while the engineers are trying to build up the net of bases in Assam as fast as possible in order to let a decent amount of supplies flow south.

In China things are interesting once again. Japan surprised me near Kweyang. We managed to repulse all his attacks all along the perimeter, from North to South (he had to abandon all his central and northern vectors) but now, all of a sudden, like a bolt out of the blue, an army composed of 54,000 men popped up behind my lines and is now flanking my southern perimeter threatening Kweyiang!!
As we know that city is the KEY to the central China. Lose it and the whole defences will crumble...
Don't know which route he took to get there...for sure my border units...my sentinels...were sleeping for ages not to see an army that big crossing the lines... however the good news is that we have lots of reserves moving in and he hasn't a decent supply route in order to sustain that kind of army in combat... the closest Japanese base is WAY back and the supply must flow through mountains and hills without even a dirty road. I think I can stop him.
However we're not panicking: even if i'm moving my reserves around, the perimeter should remain strong enough

See map...

[ny59giants]

Burma - I developed all those bases in Assam to max and still didn't get supplies to flow into central Burma bases (did OK outside of them). It wasn't until I got Ramree Island and was able to push out from there to get supplies to flow. IMO, I would focus on pushing down the coast to Aykab and then going inland from there along with an invasion of Ramree. In slightly less than two months, Burma has changed significantly since landing there.

[GreyJoy]

ORIGINAL: ny59giants

Burma - I developed all those bases in Assam to max and still didn't get supplies to flow into central Burma. It wasn't until I got Ramree Island and was able to push out from there to get supplies to flow. IMO, I would focus on pushing down the coast to Aykab and then going inland from there along with an invasion of Ramree. In slightly less than two months, Burma has changed significantly in less than two months since landing there.

YEs, I've already created 3 armies. An American one, based around the 27th US Division, with Marine support units (USMC Artillery and Tanks), along with Indian tanks, a British Corp, whos pushing south from Kalemyo and an Indian Army, who will threaten the Katha sector from the North and re-estabilish a connection with Wazrup and Mitikyna.

The Australian Divisions are my mobile reserves and will be moved where needed in order to exploit a penetration. Paras and raiders are already in position.
But before I can do anything against Ramree or Akyab I first need to secure Cylon and Scoodra

[GreyJoy]

August 10, 1942

In the last week the situation in China has gotten clear. Still don't know how he managed to get to Kweiyang from my backlines, but what appeared to be just an expedition corp of 2 divisions, revealed itself as a full army, composed of four divisions, some Bdes and tank regiments!
We, however, managed to get our reserves in place in time and by the 9th, when he entered the town coming from west, we had estabilished a solid stopping army of 700 AVs, behind 3 forts.
On the 10th he attacked, but he is clearly overstacked and his supplies must not be that good... so we achieved a good 1-2 and inflicted some serious losses to his army, suffering very little. At the same time, at least 3 units of this army, are trying to flank Kweyiang from North and South, thus opening a supply route to his divisions sieging Tuyung. But I think I've closed that door too. 3 of my corps are already guarding the northern approaches to Kweiyang and the interior line movements should allow me to secure also the southern flank in time.
At the very same time some more reserves are now moving to the back of his armies, coming from West and he is now seriously risking to get 4 divisions stuck behind my lines...

But it's not all good in China. On the northern road that leads to Sian, he managed to assemble a HUGE artillery army, which is litterarly reducing in pieces my own stopping army (unfortunately the terrain isn't that good in that hex, being just a rough one)... I feel that the whole Sian sector is now in serious danger cause if that hex falls in his hands, then there are just clear hexes from there to Sian... that means that I may abandon the whole area and retreat to some positions back on the mountains, thus leaving Sian and its industries...which will be a disaster for the Chinese economy. But I cannot let my armies to get trapped there so I've already started to move..

In Burma we managed to conquer Cock's Bazar and Akyab, using tanks and paras...right before that a Guards Regiment could cross the river and reach Akyab.
Now the 27th ID and its supporting units are already marching to reinforce those key positions on the coast.
From Kalemyo we're now pushing in order to occupy the key jungle hexes south of it. The Japs are running too (with not less than 4 divisions moving towards the Jungle north of Swhebo) but I think I should get there before them.
In the meanwhile 250 Helens and 200 Tojos keep on bombing Assam, while 40 B17s started to bomb Cylon.
The invasion of Scoodra is taking shape. Think we'll be ready by the end of August.

In the pacific we're busy moving fuel, supplies and troops around. Amazing how the reduced cargo Mod can slow down the pace of the allied operations... really cool. Australia keeps on having huge fuel problems and i'm short of Tankers everywhere... But before I can estabilish a secure convoy route from India to Oz I need first to liberate Cylon and Scoodra.
Japan is reinforcing the Marshalls... good. I know isolated islands cannot be defended once the allies start rolling with the LBA

[GreyJoy]

August 11, 1942

After the second day of deliberate attacks it is clear that he's not going to conquer Kweiyang! and now he's in danger of remaining cut off!


Ground combat at Kweiyang (74,49)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 79677 troops, 1081 guns, 499 vehicles, Assault Value = 1854 (30k men above stacking limits...his supplies must be horrible by now)

Defending force 48247 troops, 228 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 1175

Japanese engineers reduce fortifications to 1

Japanese adjusted assault: 499

Allied adjusted defense: 1733

Japanese assault odds: 1 to 3 (fort level 1)

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), leaders(+), preparation(-), experience(-)
Attacker: disruption(-)

Japanese ground losses:
6097 casualties reported
Squads: 111 destroyed, 239 disabled
Non Combat: 28 destroyed, 62 disabled
Engineers: 7 destroyed, 12 disabled
Guns lost 45 (13 destroyed, 32 disabled)
Vehicles lost 183 (50 destroyed, 133 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
1273 casualties reported
Squads: 3 destroyed, 127 disabled
Non Combat: 2 destroyed, 40 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 5 disabled

Assaulting units:
3rd Tank Regiment
17th Division
15th Division
116th Division
9th Tank Regiment
37th Division
11th Army

Defending units:
26th Chinese Corps
53rd Chinese Corps
75th Chinese Corps
50th Chinese Corps
2nd Prov Chinese Corps
9th Chinese Base Force
7th Artillery Regiment
2nd Chinese Base Force
56th AT Gun Regiment
1st Group Army
20th Group Army
18th Chinese Base Force
20th Chinese Base Force

[BBfanboy]

You even got a Leaders + bonus! Seems to me he has been spending his PP to buy out artillery from Kwantung Army rather than look at his leaders and change out the poor ones.

Odd that he did not get a Supply - hit. Are your troops short of supply too?

[GreyJoy]

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

You even got a Leaders + bonus! Seems to me he has been spending his PP to buy out artillery from Kwantung Army rather than look at his leaders and change out the poor ones.

Odd that he did not get a Supply - hit. Are your troops short of supply too?

To be honest, I've been spending lots of PPs in changing leaders in China. I've taken great care of my Chinese army and I've been slowly changing all the poor leaders with decent ones.
Yes, he has bought mainly all the heavy artillery units from Manchukoku... pretty costly if you ask me!
Yes, my units are low on supply too, but that's pretty normal with the Chinese. You always fight "in red", that's why you must be chosing very carefully your battles.
I may lose the north in the next months, but i'm pretty confident I will be able to keep the center and west.
So far the Chinese campaign has costed him dearly... both in terms of supplies and in terms of HI points to replace all the destroyed squads he had (and I've been winning the 95% of the battles! I abandoned the Changsha area mainly for strategical reasons rather than tactical ones