Matrix Games Forums

ORIGINAL: ny59giants

Starting to wonder if something is up with those huge Manchurian guns

IMO, their TO&E should be changed to include a static device that doesn't upgrade to a non-static device until at least mid-42 or beyond. They would have taken months to move IRL, not less than two weeks.

ORIGINAL: JocMeister

ORIGINAL: BattleMoose

After China get cleaned up, what do you suppose he will do with all those LCUs? Seems like Java and Sumatra got reinforced. Do you think he will send a number of them to reinforce Burma?

Cape Town to Perth is a slower but much safer option for getting things to Australia.

Very good question! He will no doubt use a good amount to make the mountains to Burma rock solid. With the rest...not sure. Garrison requirements are ridiculously low so he will no doubt have the ability to buy out a huge amount of troops.

But as I have noticed SL will make it harder for him to create massive fortresses. But no doubt he will pack all the possible approaches to the limit. Marianas, Marshalls, Sumatra, DEI... much will go to Burma I´m sure. He can probably buy out an ID every second month or so. So I will be facing at least an extra 6 IDs in the coming year besides the 3(?) he has already bought out.

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

About those engineers sitting in the USA that you haven't found a use for: if you move them to OZ they can build the bases there to improve supply flow. They will also be closer to the islands that you will conquer and need to build up in SOPAC/SWPAC.

ORIGINAL: mind_messing
Speaking as someone who's knocked the Chinese out of the war, expect MrKane to have an abundance of medium to large LCU's ready to deploy where he wants them. You'll likely find yourself up against a fair number Ind. Mixed Brigades dotted all over the place.

The IJA in China is particularly flush with brigades that can be combined with reinforcement units to form a division. These units are ideal for those locations where MrKane will want more than some Naval Guards/SNLF or a IJA brigade to defend.

However, don't let the notion of having 3 or 6 or 12 extra "divisions" get you down. Most of the IJA divisions that start in China are little more than a few hundred infantry squads with some field guns and mortars. They're cheap to buy out and should do a good job holding behind forts and support units, but they're not the monster IJA divisions that have a nice artillery train and some tanks - they cost a fair number of PP's.

Once China falls, there's also the support assets that are freed up. There's no longer any need for any excess engineers or aviation support, so Japanese engineering efforts get a nice little boost, and the extra aviation support goes some way towards solving the AS crunch at the frontlines.

ORIGINAL: JocMeister
Man, SL makes things annoyingly difficult at times. I have a crapload of Engineers sitting at San Fran. But nowhere to send them. There simply isn´t any room to put them.

ORIGINAL: Sangeli

ORIGINAL: JocMeister
Man, SL makes things annoyingly difficult at times. I have a crapload of Engineers sitting at San Fran. But nowhere to send them. There simply isn´t any room to put them.

BS! There are half a dozen islands in the Gilberts with 10k+ stacking limits that can be built up to level 5 air bases. They are just sitting there waiting for SeaBees. Especially Tabiteuea with its 40k stacking limit as it can be brought up to level 6; I wouldn't hesitate in dropping 10 SeaBee battalions here.

Also certainly you can use engineers in Burma/India to build up some of those jungle bases. OZ can also use some engineering assets in the far north like Portland roads which is only 8 hexes from Port Moresby. If you can't find uses for engineers throughout 1942 you're doing it wrong. And I know this because I had the same thoughts in my last game and I know for a fact I underutilized my engineering assets and paid for it in 1943.

As for your current OP, it seems like the KB isn't going to show up. The fact the Gilberts were so undeveloped tells me that Japan isn't planning on risking the KB for the OP. That being said, I would be willing to bet the Japanese match your invasion of the Gilberts with a buildup of the Marshalls in the coming months.

ORIGINAL: mind_messing

ORIGINAL: JocMeister

ORIGINAL: BattleMoose

After China get cleaned up, what do you suppose he will do with all those LCUs? Seems like Java and Sumatra got reinforced. Do you think he will send a number of them to reinforce Burma?

Cape Town to Perth is a slower but much safer option for getting things to Australia.

Very good question! He will no doubt use a good amount to make the mountains to Burma rock solid. With the rest...not sure. Garrison requirements are ridiculously low so he will no doubt have the ability to buy out a huge amount of troops.

But as I have noticed SL will make it harder for him to create massive fortresses. But no doubt he will pack all the possible approaches to the limit. Marianas, Marshalls, Sumatra, DEI... much will go to Burma I´m sure. He can probably buy out an ID every second month or so. So I will be facing at least an extra 6 IDs in the coming year besides the 3(?) he has already bought out.

Speaking as someone who's knocked the Chinese out of the war, expect MrKane to have an abundance of medium to large LCU's ready to deploy where he wants them. You'll likely find yourself up against a fair number Ind. Mixed Brigades dotted all over the place.

The IJA in China is particularly flush with brigades that can be combined with reinforcement units to form a division. These units are ideal for those locations where MrKane will want more than some Naval Guards/SNLF or a IJA brigade to defend.

However, don't let the notion of having 3 or 6 or 12 extra "divisions" get you down. Most of the IJA divisions that start in China are little more than a few hundred infantry squads with some field guns and mortars. They're cheap to buy out and should do a good job holding behind forts and support units, but they're not the monster IJA divisions that have a nice artillery train and some tanks - they cost a fair number of PP's.

Once China falls, there's also the support assets that are freed up. There's no longer any need for any excess engineers or aviation support, so Japanese engineering efforts get a nice little boost, and the extra aviation support goes some way towards solving the AS crunch at the frontlines.

ORIGINAL: Spidery

Expect more divisions released than you have suggested. If he starts deliberate attacks at Chungking he will have divisions, including some of the better ones, suffering heavy disablements. If he plans ahead he will have the PP available to buy these out at a cheap rate.

Morning Air attack on TF, near Baker Island at 147,136

Weather in hex: Heavy rain

Raid spotted at 20 NM, estimated altitude 15,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 7 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M5 Zero x 129
B5N2 Kate x 57
D3A1 Val x 48

Allied aircraft
F4F-3A Wildcat x 7
F4F-4 Wildcat x 33

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M5 Zero: 1 destroyed
B5N2 Kate: 1 destroyed, 1 damaged
B5N2 Kate: 1 destroyed by flak
D3A1 Val: 3 destroyed, 3 damaged
D3A1 Val: 1 destroyed by flak

Allied aircraft losses
F4F-3A Wildcat: 1 destroyed
F4F-4 Wildcat: 10 destroyed

Allied Ships
APD Ward, Bomb hits 4, heavy fires, heavy damage
AP W.A. Holbrook, Torpedo hits 2, heavy damage
AP Zeilin, Torpedo hits 3, and is sunk
AP American Legion, Bomb hits 2, Torpedo hits 3, on fire, heavy damage
AP George F. Elliot, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
APD Kennison, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
APD Schley, Bomb hits 1, on fire
AP Barnett
AP Heywood, Bomb hits 2, Torpedo hits 3, and is sunk
APD Crane
AP U.S. Grant, Bomb hits 1, Torpedo hits 1, on fire
AP Hunter Liggett, Torpedo hits 1
AP J. Franklin Bell, Bomb hits 2
AP Fuller, Bomb hits 4, heavy fires
AK Fomalhaut, Torpedo hits 1

Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Baker Island at 150,134

Weather in hex: Heavy cloud

Raid detected at 80 NM, estimated altitude 19,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 30 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M5 Zero x 165
B5N2 Kate x 114
D3A1 Val x 151

Allied aircraft
Martlet II x 17
F4F-3A Wildcat x 20
F4F-4 Wildcat x 64

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M5 Zero: 4 destroyed
B5N2 Kate: 25 damaged
B5N2 Kate: 2 destroyed by flak
D3A1 Val: 18 destroyed, 15 damaged
D3A1 Val: 4 destroyed by flak

Allied aircraft losses
Martlet II: 2 destroyed
F4F-4 Wildcat: 1 destroyed

Allied Ships
CV Wasp, Bomb hits 1, on fire
CV Hornet, Bomb hits 4, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
CA Portland
CV Yorktown, Bomb hits 6, Torpedo hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage
CV Illustrious, Bomb hits 8, Torpedo hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
CV Lexington, Bomb hits 1
CV Enterprise, Bomb hits 6, Torpedo hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage
CLAA Atlanta, Bomb hits 1
BB North Carolina, Bomb hits 12, on fire
DD Blue
CA Astoria
DD Bagley
CA New Orleans, Torpedo hits 1
DD Aaron Ward
CA Chester
CLAA San Juan, Bomb hits 1, on fire

Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Howland Island at 150,132

Weather in hex: Heavy cloud

Raid detected at 74 NM, estimated altitude 20,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 29 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 48
A6M5 Zero x 111

Allied aircraft
Swordfish I x 11
F4F-3A Wildcat x 13
F4F-4 Wildcat x 51
SBD-3 Dauntless x 163
TBF-1 Avenger x 24

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M5 Zero: 1 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
Swordfish I: 2 destroyed, 2 damaged
Swordfish I: 1 destroyed by flak
F4F-3A Wildcat: 3 destroyed
F4F-4 Wildcat: 8 destroyed
SBD-3 Dauntless: 46 destroyed, 24 damaged
SBD-3 Dauntless: 1 destroyed by flak
TBF-1 Avenger: 8 destroyed, 3 damaged

Japanese Ships
CA Chokai
CV Kaga
CV Akagi
BB Haruna
BB Hiei, Bomb hits 2
CV Shokaku
CV Zuikaku, Torpedo hits 1
CV Soryu, Bomb hits 2, on fire
CVL Shoho
BB Kongo
CV Hiryu
BB Yamato, Bomb hits 1
CVL Zuiho
BB Kirishima
CA Suzuya
DD Akebono
CVL Ryujo
CA Kumano

ORIGINAL: Encircled

Ouch indeed

Think you might well be right in throwing in the towel to be honest