Stuck in the PI

[ZOOMIE1980]

ORIGINAL: UncleBuck

Seems to me Zoomie that your options are bad and worse. You have commitments for your troops ona time table that will not allow you to leave them in a siege situation for Bataan. However to take Bataan, since they ahve to much power to ignore, means impaling yourself on the fortifications, and commiting even more of the troops you need to rest, and fill out for your later plans. Seems that you need to comprimise. If you pull back your Large formations to Manila or CLark let them recuperate there you achive two fo the needs. Your troops get to rest and recover, you build up fortifications for future battles and you bottle up the Bataan force. They have no means of supply and will wither. Set your planes to High Altitude nuiscane raids on Port attack. This will keep your losses low thier disruption high and use up supplies just to fix uselss pot holes. It sounds as if you have enough force at other SRA bases that you coudl start your base building in the SWPAC area and have nice bases already built for June. In June Bataan will be in bad shape. You finsih them quickly and then move fresh, seasoned troops from PI to your new bases. THe Allies are not very strong, now and you shoudl have time to seige Bataan and ge those troops to forward areas well before the Allies are ready to seriously oppose you.

UB

OK, still figuring playing Japan out.

My overriding strategic focus is a bit odd for some i guess. I want to knock China out of the War meaning the PI units may be about all I have to deal with the NG and Solomon action. And I may even swipe one or two of those for China. I'll be making a save point branch soon, in case my China plan fails. Suffice it to, the China Expeditionary Army cannot take China by itself. I've already committed the 38th and they are holding the rail line in the southeast of China. But I'm very thin in the Changsha and Sian/Homan area and Yunan I have to hit the back door (Yunan) with something substantial, eventually.

[Wilhammer]

My solution.

Armor is quite powerful, and very mobile.

I hit Lingayen (non historical turn) with armor and support, and take it.

Next turn, plot them into Clark. You will get there just as the Battaan Exodus starts, and you can slow and hurt them with heavy air attacks and that armor by securing Clark.

At the same time, the move from Map South to Manila up that road is relatively rapid.

To help block the Allied flight, take the non base 'Causeway' hex near Manila.

Doing this, I stopped three divisions and several misc Allied units from getting into Bataan.

I scoured the map to send plenty of firepower into the PI for the big battle at Battaan - a still sizeable force made it into the place.

After 6 active days of pounding, assaulting, engineering, and teeth gritting over a two and a half week period, Battaan has fallen on January 3, 1942.

I have moved everyone to Temperate Manila now, and I have a very experienced force sucking up replacements from the tons of over supply I delivered to the PI, and I have made a point of keeping all my 1500 APs near and now at Manila to load everyone up for the big one on Java and Sumatra.

KB is in the area, supporting operations by detroying all that floats, and AVs and CS with ASW patrols at land and sea are keeping subs at bay.

I anticipate beating the schedule by 3 months in the 'Happy Phase'.