Matrix Games Forums

Now to Burma.

Burma will soon be welcoming a handful of Chinese units, at 1 and 2. I can only move a few Chinese units into Burma as 95% are permanently restricted to China. I'm moving them into Burma, in part, so they eat and drink and are merry on Burmese supply rather than Chinese supply. I hope they like the food.

At the lower left, at 3, are Japanese units moving to attack Pegu. These Japanese units are reported to include 83 AFV. In Pegu and Rangoon I have only a couple of AT guns. Not a fair fight, I say. Frankly, I don't really have much in Burma. Therefore, on a lark, I loaded up the 50th Tank Bde at Calcutta and they will soon arrive, being transported by the ships at 4. Starting this turn LRCAP will be over these ships. I know it's a risk to move them into Rangoon at this stage, but in the last week air attacks on Rangoon have fallen off in the face of pretty good Allied CAP. Of some concern is that some Japanese mines have been placed at Rangoon, but my local minesweeper seems to be doing a good job getting rid of those pesky things.

January 2 and 3, 1942
---------------------

Most notable event was a big stack attack by Japanese units on the road to Sian, the results of which are below. It went as well as I could have hoped for. This was the first setback for Japan since the beginning of the war. Other places Japan is soon to attack are less well-defended. No reason they should turn out as well for me.

Ground combat at 84,43 (near Nanyang)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 25131 troops, 234 guns, 285 vehicles, Assault Value = 856
Defending force 38839 troops, 189 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 938

Japanese adjusted assault: 428
Allied adjusted defense: 1249

Japanese assault odds: 1 to 2

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

Japanese ground losses:
410 casualties reported
Squads: 2 destroyed, 70 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 12 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Vehicles lost 24 (2 destroyed, 22 disabled) Take THAT you fancy tank units!

Allied ground losses:
744 casualties reported
Squads: 8 destroyed, 126 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 43 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 15 disabled

Assaulting units:
9th Tank Regiment
36th Division
37th Division
3rd Tank Regiment
11th Tank Regiment
11th Field Artillery Regiment

Defending units:
92nd Chinese Corps
13th Chinese Corps
47th Chinese Corps
36th Chinese Corps
4th Construction Regiment
5th War Area
34th Group Army

So the Philippines are stumbling to a forgone conclusion. Here's what's where:

Clark Field: 885 AV and 36,886 of the permitted 40,000 troops. We're using stacking limits.
Bataan: 679 AV and 44,958 of the permitted 45,000 troops.
Subic Bay: 0 AV and 1,287 of 45,000 permitted troops.
Manila: In Japanese hands.

Question: What happens if LCUs in Clark Field are forced to retreat? Can I assume they'd just flood into Subic Bay, where plenty of room exists for them? Or, will some of them rush past the No Vacancy sign posted at Bataan and cause overstacking problems?

You need to show the hexside ownership.

Second question: Let's say I want to switch out some tired, poor, and hungry LCU in Clark Field for some LCU in Bataan. Would I accomplish this simply by telling the TP&H LCU in Clark and an equal sized unit (and equally speedy, so both infantry or both armor) in Bataan to simultaneously move to the other place? Will they pass each other and arrive at their new destinations without causing overstacking in one of the hexes?

You mean this?

ORIGINAL: Panjack
Question: What happens if LCUs in Clark Field are forced to retreat? Can I assume they'd just flood into Subic Bay, where plenty of room exists for them? Or, will some of them rush past the No Vacancy sign posted at Bataan and cause overstacking problems?

I think there is a chance they could go to either. I'm not really sure. But you may lose Subic bay soon so it could be a mute point.

ORIGINAL: Panjack
Second question: Let's say I want to switch out some tired, poor, and hungry LCU in Clark Field for some LCU in Bataan. Would I accomplish this simply by telling the TP&H LCU in Clark and an equal sized unit (and equally speedy, so both infantry or both armor) in Bataan to simultaneously move to the other place? Will they pass each other and arrive at their new destinations without causing overstacking in one of the hexes?

Ya, that's what I usually do. They will pass eachother as if they were never in the same hex at the same time.

ORIGINAL: Sangeli
...But you may lose Subic bay soon so it could be a mute point....

You're right about that. I guess I really have no choice but to send some folks from Clark Field to Subic Bay to do battle with the approaching troops and keep the hex side from Clark to Subic Bay in Allied hands. If I lose Subic, then any retreat from Clark will go into Bataan and bad things will happen from overstacking, I suppose. I need Subic Bay to have a place to have some of my defeated troops from Clark have a place to go to die where they do the least harm to Bataan...so the last stand at Bataan might last a week longer!

And thanks for other info too.

ORIGINAL: Panjack

You mean this?

Yes, but as I was taught in my first AAR, after you hit the hotkey you need to move the cursor away from the target hex, else you get those white hexsides.

As other shave said I think a retreat path would be a coin flip.

ORIGINAL: Panjack

ORIGINAL: Sangeli
...But you may lose Subic bay soon so it could be a mute point....

You're right about that. I guess I really have no choice but to send some folks from Clark Field to Subic Bay to do battle with the approaching troops and keep the hex side from Clark to Subic Bay in Allied hands. If I lose Subic, then any retreat from Clark will go into Bataan and bad things will happen from overstacking, I suppose. I need Subic Bay to have a place to have some of my defeated troops from Clark have a place to go to die where they do the least harm to Bataan...so the last stand at Bataan might last a week longer!

And thanks for other info too.

If you really want to make the Bataan defense last as long as possible then maybe you willingly retreat the worst half of your units from Clark to Subic and the best half to Bataan. I usually pull back from Clark Field when the fort hits 0 anyway. However, I usually have Manila and the Japanese have to take Manila but at Subic they could just move in a small LCU and lay siege to whatever is left for as long as they like. Although most JFBs will probably just try to take it b/c its there.

I have played at least 6 game starts now with extended map and have never seen a retreat from Clark to Subic. It has always been to Bataan.

Sangeli and HansBolter: thanks for the information/suggestions.

Looks like the School of HardKnocks is about to teach me a lesson about stacking limits in the PI. I'm moving some units toward Subic Bay and Iba (both hexsides are open). Knowing what I know now, I certainly would have organized things differently in the PI from the beginning; stuffing Clark Field and Bataan to the gills with soldiers was a big mistake. [:-]

ORIGINAL: Panjack

Sangeli and HansBolter: thanks for the information/suggestions.

Looks like the School of HardKnocks is about to teach me a lesson about stacking limits in the PI. I'm moving some units toward Subic Bay and Iba (both hexsides are open). Knowing what I know now, I certainly would have organized things differently in the PI from the beginning; stuffing Clark Field and Bataan to the gills with soldiers was a big mistake. [:-]

Actually, in the long run it wont matter one bit.

Your troops are going to die and the Japanese will take over the island resulting in a certain number of VP lost. If your defenses had been perfectly balanced the troops would die and Japan would take over the island.

So, again.. dont beat yourself up ;]

ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58
Yes, but as I was taught in my first AAR, after you hit the hotkey you need to move the cursor away from the target hex, else you get those white hexsides.

I'm pretty sure those white lines around Clark Field are the soldiers of my low morale units, of which I have many, holding up white flags...so many you can see them from space! [;)]

Alternatively, thanks for the pointer about that cursor. [:)]

ORIGINAL: Wargmr
So, again.. dont beat yourself up ;]

Yes I must!: last week I bought the Costco 10-pack of Kirkland Medieval Hairshirts, and I need to find reasons to wear them! [8D]

(I guess a Costco reference won't necessarily carry over to people outside the US, but, hey.)

Actually I like these semi-debacles, of which I've had many so far only some of which have been reported here in part because some are still on-going and real jaw-droppers. They firmly plant in my head certain things I will be more likely to remember in the future.

ORIGINAL: Panjack


(I guess a Costco reference won't necessarily carry over to people outside the US, but, hey.)

Their large jar of fancy mixed nuts is really quite impressive. I ask Santa for one every year.

ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58

ORIGINAL: Panjack


(I guess a Costco reference won't necessarily carry over to people outside the US, but, hey.)

Their large jar of fancy mixed nuts is really quite impressive. I ask Santa for one every year.

Do you ask for the mixed nuts for Rocky?

ORIGINAL: Wargmr
Actually, in the long run it wont matter one bit.

Your troops are going to die and the Japanese will take over the island resulting in a certain number of VP lost. If your defenses had been perfectly balanced the troops would die and Japan would take over the island.

So, again.. dont beat yourself up ;]

No, it definitely does matter. After Luzon the Japanese can redeploy them for another offensive. If this can be done while the amphibious bonus is still active, this enables the Japanese to go for one last big offensive where they don't need any prep at all. And since Luzon often falls around early March, it can really come down the the wire. Even a week could be the difference here.

ORIGINAL: Sangeli

ORIGINAL: Wargmr
Actually, in the long run it wont matter one bit.

Your troops are going to die and the Japanese will take over the island resulting in a certain number of VP lost. If your defenses had been perfectly balanced the troops would die and Japan would take over the island.

So, again.. dont beat yourself up ;]

No, it definitely does matter. After Luzon the Japanese can redeploy them for another offensive. If this can be done while the amphibious bonus is still active, this enables the Japanese to go for one last big offensive where they don't need any prep at all. And since Luzon often falls around early March, it can really come down the the wire. Even a week could be the difference here.

The difference between what and what?

ORIGINAL: Wargmr
The difference between what and what?

Between a Japanese landing unloading at 1200 points with the bonus and 250 points per ship per turn without it. And of course the corresponding disruption from non-prepped landings. In an opposed landing this might make all the difference...or may not!