Andy Mac v PZB This time India will Stand !!!!

[Andy Mac]

Not a lot more to say next turn passed uneventfully

XV Corps hit 6th Guards Div hard and knocked forts down so should take Magwe in a day or so.

Tomorrow Burcorps crossres the irrawaddy should take Mandalay tomorrow I am hoping this will result in a general retereat

[Andy Mac]

Tomorrow

Genereral Christiansons Sino/Indian Army force all under the command of the Burma Corps HQ crosses the Irrawaddy River - The Empire and Generalisso expects that every man will do there duty and ensure that Mandalay is once more in allied hands

When Mandalay falls the road to Rangoon is open !!!!

Supported by 224 Group RAF under AVM Stephenson this will be the first real milestone of the Assam front - we must not fail....

[Andy Mac]

Today Forces of Lt General Christiansons Burma Corps crossed the Irrawaddy securing Mandalay

Lt General Meeservey's XV Corps caused major damage to IJA 6th Guards Div and should capture Magwe tomorrow.

Overall a result and a good day.

The road to rangoon is open

[Flying Tiger]

Hey Andy. Could you add a couple of map screens shots? It helps me if i can see the visual.

also a map screen shot of Australia/PNG/Timor area?

Thanks.

[Andy Mac]

Picture with my 3 pronged attack

[Andy Mac]

No really a lot to say on the other areas I am in Australia Japanese are in PNG

[Andy Mac]

I am driving on Rangoon with all despatch....

Burma Corps will revert to clean up duty with probably only 39th Indian Div and 1 Chinese Army under command.

I will introduce XXXIII Corps HQ when Meiktila falls to take under command 20th and 23rd Indian Divs from Burcorps for the drive on Rangoon.

Prome for me is the weak link in a Japanese stand in lower Burma

[Andy Mac]

Quiet few turns as I r5eorganise my forces

Burma Corps is in process of becvoming garrison force its main battle formations beiong handed over to other units.

PZB looks to be digging in along the edge of the jungle which is fair enough I will probably be able to force the gap but I need time to do it so waiting on forces to re assemble.

Andy

[Andy Mac]

Hello boys I'm back - broke, skint, pink lint but definitely back....

Not a lot to say for now getting back into it forces continuwe to advance south into the jungle to try and isolate Rangoon

Last turn the highpoint was XV Corps attack on 3rd IJA Tank Division which was badly mauled and forced to retreat.

Every time I retreat a jap Div its a good day

[Andy Mac]

OK latest position to help make sense of the theatre

14th Army

IV Corps is currently crossing over the river into Prome a total of 7 Divisions with a further 1 (9th Australian Div) in the Mountains

XV Corps is driving down the corridor trying to bypass Toungoo to the West with 4 Divisions having just retreated and gutted 3rd IJA Tank Div

XXXIII Corps newly inserted on the main Toungoo advance line has 2 Divs and a Chinese Army

Eastern Command

Bur Corps with responsability for rear area and LOC has 2 Chinese Armies, 1 Indian Div and 5 or 6 Bde sized units and 4 Indpt Bns keeping the flanks secure and garrisoning bases
Arakan Force - 2 Bdes and covering Akyab and several Bn's and Base forces up and down the Arakan Peninsula

Strategic Reserve (either at Aden en route to theatre or at Chittagong)
1st US Cav Div
81st West African Div
16th Canadian Bde Group
77th Chindit Bde (Glider)
50th Indian Para Bde (Para)
Merrills Maraduers
1st SS Force
50th Tank Bde
3rd Cdo Bde

Reinforcements Available
Ceylon Garrison
98th Indian Bde
99th Indian Bde
100th Indian bde
22nd East African Bde

Other en route (within 20 days)
82nd WA Div
38th US Div
28th East African Bde

Supply net is creaking so any new forces committed either have to be committed on the coast where I can supply them from Ramree or act as a straight replacement

e.g. 20th Indian Div suffered a lot taking Mandalay which is why its resting as part of Burma Corps watching the Jap Force at Tang Gyi I may fly them out and replace the Div with the 81st West African Div as I cannot sustain another Div on the plains until bases are built higher

[Andy Mac]

Pacific Fleet Reborn.....

Saratoga wioll be out of yard hands in 17 days
3 more Essex class arrive inside 40 days
2 more CVL's are en route
3 CVE's are en route to join the fleet
10 more CVE's will be ready inside 40 days

So in 40 days my fleet will be

8 Fleet Carriers (680 Aircraft)
9 Light Carriers (270 Aircraft)
28 Escort Carriers (840 Aircraft)

I also have 2 x CVE in SOPAC on convoy duty and Unicorn and a CVE in SEAC also on Convoy Duty so I could concentrate another 120 aircraft if I thought it worthwhile.

The fleet is finally recovering fromt he mauling it took in 43

[Andy Mac]

Well tomorrow should be bloody ordered 10th AF to hit Rangoon AF

Over 250 4E will go in to hit it hard

[Andy Mac]

backed up by 100+ Spit VIII's, 100 Thuds, 100+ P38's and 100+ Corsairs on sweep

Hurricane IIc's, P40's, P39D's and F6F's get the raw deal as escort fighters......

[Andy Mac]

My reasoning for the Rangoon strike is as follows

XV Corps has won its battle witht he japanese 3rd Tank Div and should be able to keep driving south forcing a link up at Prome with the advancing IV Corps

When that happens my two primary attacking corps will be hitting the sdame objective in the open if I have air superiority my FB's and Mediums will make Prome a living hell for the IJA.

BUT in order to use my mediums effectivelly I need to win air superioirty over southern Burma now is the time.

Ramree is now lvl 3 AF and growing
The Central Burmese AF' are now operational and I am able to forward deploy aircraft.

This butchers bill needs to be paid and now is the time to pay it.

If I force PZB's air back from the Rangoon area towards Bangkok/Moulmien/VP then I get a free hand to pound and pound and pound and basically I win Rangoon.

IV and XV Corps between them can muster 12 Divisions plus support thats nearly 5,000 AV and with air superiority in open terrrain I think that force can take Prome and with Prome Rangoon.

XXXIII Corps will keep driving on Toungoo by routing 3rd Tank Div the weight of my attack is moving to the coastal axis with t he join up of IV and XV Corps being essential.

The only PZB can stop me now is to commit surface units heavily to interdict my supply line into Ramree - thats the weakpoint in my strategy Ramree's AF is taking a lot of supply and every day convoys and barges unload supply essential to my drive south.

If PZB can close Ramree prot and AF and keep em closed my advance implodes on admin as I cannot sustain the while force from Akyab or the Assam area.

For that reason even though its costing me my destroyer flotillas have moved onto the attack hitting Rangoon nightly I need to keep PZB hunkered back from Ramree if he committs he could still stop me cold but the tipping point is fast approaching

Supplies currently at Ramree could probably keep my army supplied for a 3 day fight every convoy that arrives increases that admin margin

Force A (HMS Queen Elizabeth, HMS Renown, HMS Unicorn, HMS Battler, HMS Emerald and 16 Destroyers are operating as distant support keeping a watchfull eye for KB)

[Andy Mac]

When Ramree is secure and has enough supply Force A will be withdrawn and will head down to Sydney where it will join with Force B (HMS Revenge, USS Corregidor, USS Chenango, USS Baltimore, HMS Sussex, HMS Devonshire, USS St Lois, USS, Helena, USS Nashville, HMAS Adeilade and 16 Destroyers)

and with Force C (HMAS Canberra, HMS Frobisher, HMS Glasgow, HMS Ceres, HMS Mauritius, HMS Caradoc, HMS Birmingham, and 8 Destroyers)

This combined force will operate in support of operations in South Pacific and Solomons as the new Allied South Pacific Fleet.

It is not the intention to operate this force outside of Land Based Air cover and it will be a dedicated invasion cover and support fleet.

[Andy Mac]

Major fights in Burma

Heavies got in and out intact and destroyed Rangoon - its out of action for a while.

Switched attention to Bassein and Pegu going to shut down Burma for good.

I lost 100 (50 F6's which I plenty of)

He lost 300 so a good day for me

Interestingly KB was sighted so its pretty obvious that PZB was going for Ramree - good news is I now have an option to cause mayhem with KB identifeid in Burma

[Andy Mac]

Lost about another 100 aircraft yesterday destroyed about 150

40 of the losses were 2 Beafighter Sqns that walked into a buzzsaw.

Tomorow going back to Bassein to make sure its shut and the tacticals are supporting XV Corps in an attack on 3rd IJA Tank Div

If PZB is not carefull I could pocket a large portion of his army at Prome.

By switching my attacks to different prongs I am giving PZB massive issues

Andy

[Andy Mac]

With KB spotted in Bay of Bengal other forces are now in motion its time to take back that which I lost.....

The USN is on the move....

[beppi]

Some little "tip" i tested in my current PBEM.

With the heavy allied air transport capacity you can shift large amounts of troops through AIR. You can move any type of troop except 25 pounder and motorized transport/engeneering vehicle at a capacity of around 2/3 of a division a day. There are some divisions (West African one) which does not have any motorized transport but some engineering vehicles.

In my game i did an airdrop with the 2 Chindits brigades and capture a base behind the line of defense. After that i shifted 4 divisions through air in a few days which allowed me to completly crumble the enemy line of defense. You can only try such a stunt if you either are willing to shift all suppyl throuhg air or if you have a (even if it is only weekly) line of supply. If your game for example Chiang Mai could be such a target after you have captured Taung Gyi.

It is not easy to pull such an operation off and it is a little risky, but you can speed up a push quite a lot. And you need ill defended bases in the back by japan.

[Andy Mac]

Today XV Corps ripped a hole in the Japanese centre threatening to cut off Prome.

The attack went in supported by most of 223 Group RAF's Fighter Bombers and Tenth Air Forces Mediums the Allied Divisions easily brushed aside the remnants of the Japanese Tank Div and are now driving down the main road and may be able to cut Prome off.

In seperate news the allied air force hit Bassein hard again today 3 Parachute/Glider borne Bdes are rested ready and waiting at Calcuta and I am planning on an air drop in 2 days to try and sieze Bassein by coup de main.

(Great minds think alike Beppi)

By keeping 3 axis of advance operational all with a full Corps in assault mode I am able to swith my attention between objectives.

IV Corps has the bulk of my firepower keeping the Japanese busy at Prome.

XV Corps is advancing to cut Prome off from Rangoon

XXXIII Corps is 40 miles north of Toungoo and will be attacking in a couple of days.

I actually think Rangoon will fall - I certainly believe that PZB will need to evac his Army out of Prome or I will cut it off