Senkou! strategy (realistic and BEING USED - 2 AARs)

[Hirohito]

ORIGINAL: drwho

I'm currently annihilating my PBEM opponent in China. We are in Feb '42. I've captured Kungchang and Homan in the Northern area of operations. In the Southern area I'm holding the line Chingsha, Hengchow, Wuchow. I'm also just in the progress of linking the Southern railroad between China and the more western part of my empire.

Basically I'm holding all the bases in China accessible by railroad. Currently I'm resting my forces and trying to deal with a serious supply problem. I haven't taken any forces from my Manchuko garrison besides air units.

I'd be interested in hearing some comments on how to deal with the situation hereforth.

Are all of your transports being used for supply operations into china? are all of your china coastal cities on autoconvoy? do you have enough supply ships to keep the supplies coming? Are you using Recon planes aggressively to know where the chinese are and aren't? Do you have all of your paratroop units in one forward base ready to pounce on anything left undefended? Have you moved the armor units from the home islands into china? Have you moved the armor units in Manchuko and mongolia into china? Have you moved all of the non-Kwantang army units in manchuko into china?

Hirohito

[Hirohito]

ORIGINAL: pfnognoff

2. Why would you go "China to Russia" and not "China to India" instead? I mean India should fall even without the whole Kwantung Area Army deployed there. And the quicker you take India less GB naval reinforcements would come into play. No? Plus, I think that India would be harder to support by US navy/army, then Far East Russia. If you go against Russia, I would as allies sail right there quickly trying to reinforce with the nice US divisions I have surplus of.

And finally off course, good luck to you in your games!

What port would you land at and how would you get past the IJN and the japanese air forces?

Hirohito

[Hirohito]

ORIGINAL: sveint

kaiser73,

Thanks for you comments. My plans are pre-war, they will of course be adapted to what happens during the war.

1) Philippines

Intend to conquer ASAP to free up the forces there. I add the divisions from Hong Kong/Japan here.

3) Java

About 2 divisions and 2 brigades plus engineers etc go for Java as soon as possible. Intend to land in Java at the latest on Dec 24.

4) China
isn't this optimistic?

Extremely optimistic. It will all depend on the Chinese player. However it seems alot of Allied players prefer the naval combat and don't give China as much thought as they should. In the end you are right, a very competent Chinese player will not be conquered. But add in some typical mistakes: trying to defend everything, sending troops to Burma, and I have a good shot at it. Also, the Chinese player will probably not expect a direct thrust to his interior. Furthermore, he certainly won't expect the strength of my thrust (my holding forces are VERY weak).

My gamle is that the Chinese player will NOT go on the offensive (only AAR I've seen where they do is my own). We'll have to see how it turns out in the AARs. This is the critical point in my plan. Of course, I intend to keep my opponent focused on DEI, India and the Pacific - my early thrusts there should worry them.

5) Russia
I don't understand what Divs you wonna use. the ones you used for Java, Malaya and Borneo right?

Not really. These divisions are necessary against the Allies. I intend to use troops from China plus maybe 6 divisions in a landing at Vladivostok (depends on how much I can free up from China).

in your plan you don't mention south pac (n. guinea and solomon) and Mindanao. why?

Minor theathres, I will be taking them but don't bother to mention it.

For S. Guinea and solomons, i guess you have no intention to invade them

I will take and hold New Britian and the Solomons. At the very least Rabaul.

In general, my last question: why rushing so much at start?

1. Keep the Allied attention off China
2. Java can be a tough nut unless you take it fast
3. Once Java and the Phillipines are mine I can free up forces for other offensives/defensives; etc

use the units you free up from Philippines to fight in china?

This may very well be necessary. We'll see. If they are necessary, my inital strike in China failed, and it'll be a long and bloody fight.

Don't land at Vladisvostok, you wont' like what happens. Land at a nearby friendly port instead and march a little. Better yet land opposite the northern end of sakhelin island and cut vladisvostok off.

Hirotho

[tsimmonds]

Hiro,

Glad to see you back. I enjoy your proposals and the discussions they provoke. Gets me thinking in directions I might not otherwise consider. Keep it up.

[pfnognoff]

ORIGINAL: Hirohito

ORIGINAL: pfnognoff

2. Why would you go "China to Russia" and not "China to India" instead? I mean India should fall even without the whole Kwantung Area Army deployed there. And the quicker you take India less GB naval reinforcements would come into play. No? Plus, I think that India would be harder to support by US navy/army, then Far East Russia. If you go against Russia, I would as allies sail right there quickly trying to reinforce with the nice US divisions I have surplus of.

And finally off course, good luck to you in your games!

What port would you land at and how would you get past the IJN and the japanese air forces?

Hirohito

I've replied without looking at the map (I admit I never paid due attention to that part of the world)... Now I did and was surprised to see that Khomsomalsk is inland, so no ports for me [:D] It would then be a bit slower but the point I was trying to make is that the area is much closer to SF then India, and that US has a few divisions that can be diverted there to reinforce. The effort would require clearing the Northern Area force bases with smaller FT forces, reinforcing Petropavlovsk and Ohka with AC support units, build those two up, deploy B-17s to damage nearby IJ airfields and then maybe try to take Shikka. If all goes well the landing would then have to take place 1 hex away from Khomsomalsk.

I think LBA isn't that reliable at completely stoping transports, and if I can get a few stormy days in the area they could sneek by with just a few lost or damaged ships. If the carriers come to play, no problem, after they dish it out the operation will either stop or continue depending on result [:D]

If Japan comits to this too much it isn't commiting elsewhere, so maybe it will be even a good time to use 6th and 7th Australian divisions somewhere near Truk...

In any case it would all come down to how the overall in game situation looks like at that point. I'm an axis fanboy that is just at the moment cought in an allied body (I have just one PBeM going at the moment due to lack of free time and it is as allies).

[Hirohito]

ORIGINAL: pfnognoff

ORIGINAL: Hirohito

ORIGINAL: pfnognoff

2. Why would you go "China to Russia" and not "China to India" instead? I mean India should fall even without the whole Kwantung Area Army deployed there. And the quicker you take India less GB naval reinforcements would come into play. No? Plus, I think that India would be harder to support by US navy/army, then Far East Russia. If you go against Russia, I would as allies sail right there quickly trying to reinforce with the nice US divisions I have surplus of.

And finally off course, good luck to you in your games!

What port would you land at and how would you get past the IJN and the japanese air forces?

Hirohito

I've replied without looking at the map (I admit I never paid due attention to that part of the world)... Now I did and was surprised to see that Khomsomalsk is inland, so no ports for me [:D] It would then be a bit slower but the point I was trying to make is that the area is much closer to SF then India, and that US has a few divisions that can be diverted there to reinforce. The effort would require clearing the Northern Area force bases with smaller FT forces, reinforcing Petropavlovsk and Ohka with AC support units, build those two up, deploy B-17s to damage nearby IJ airfields and then maybe try to take Shikka. If all goes well the landing would then have to take place 1 hex away from Khomsomalsk.

I think LBA isn't that reliable at completely stoping transports, and if I can get a few stormy days in the area they could sneek by with just a few lost or damaged ships. If the carriers come to play, no problem, after they dish it out the operation will either stop or continue depending on result [:D]

If Japan comits to this too much it isn't commiting elsewhere, so maybe it will be even a good time to use 6th and 7th Australian divisions somewhere near Truk...

In any case it would all come down to how the overall in game situation looks like at that point. I'm an axis fanboy that is just at the moment cought in an allied body (I have just one PBeM going at the moment due to lack of free time and it is as allies).

Okha won't be around long enough. It isn't garrisoned, so it falls on day one of the Russian campaign. The allies can't help Russia.

Hirohito

[sveint]

Dec 25 in my AAR (one of my opponents bailed out so I'm only playing this against AdmNelseon):

Java invaded at the cost of 1 BB and 1 CA - it should fall soon. Many Allied ships sunk, but no capitol ships (several CLs).

Chinese thrust of almost 6000 assault points is approaching Chungking. The Allies seem completely pre-occupied by Java.

So far so good. I'm feeling cautiously optimistic.

Link to AAR: tm.asp?m=743980

[sveint]

January 6th update:

Java is falling fast, as is the Phillipines and Malaya. Rabaul is proving slightly tough but should fall soon enough.

China is almost certainly doomed! [8D] In a few more weeks I can be absolutely sure, but Chunking is about to fall.

Next up is clearing China (killing all the troops) and then the Soviet Far East with the forces freed up from China. I'm on schedule - attack should start in late spring/early summer 1942. Germany will be pleased.