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I'm beginning to suspect Japan could have pulled off the draw they wanted in the Pacific if they hadn't attacked Pearl Harbor. At least in terms of what the game engine assumes, it looks like the Allies can't even come close to their planning dates.

But why would that have resulted in a draw? Refresh my memory, but in this scenario USN in Manila and other US forces in the far east were attacked by surprise as well, yes?

ORIGINAL: herwin

April 7/8 1942

Japanese capture Rabaul.

KB attacks Port Moresby.

Four Japanese divisions land at Semarang and capture it on the bounce. I'm just curious--did either side in the Pacific ever land four divisions in a single assault landing?

The U.S. landed 4 Divisions several times - at Leyte, Luzon, and Okinawa.

AFAIK, there were no Japanese 4-Division assault landings.

ORIGINAL: ckammp

ORIGINAL: herwin

April 7/8 1942

Japanese capture Rabaul.

KB attacks Port Moresby.

Four Japanese divisions land at Semarang and capture it on the bounce. I'm just curious--did either side in the Pacific ever land four divisions in a single assault landing?

The U.S. landed 4 Divisions several times - at Leyte, Luzon, and Okinawa.

AFAIK, there were no Japanese 4-Division assault landings.

In a single day?

April 10/11 1942

Betties and Nells operating with torpedoes out of Rangoon hit the Eastern Fleet. Much sooner than I expected, but I can live with it. Nothing sunk. A couple of carriers in bad shape, but alive.

My old battleships did a number on the Japanese 14th Tank Regiment near Prome. Now I'm beginning to understand the speed with which his units are able to move in Burma.

Bandoeng doesn't fall. Jakarta does. The Americal Division surrenders and the relief operation turns back.

ORIGINAL: herwin

ORIGINAL: ckammp

ORIGINAL: herwin

April 7/8 1942

Japanese capture Rabaul.

KB attacks Port Moresby.

Four Japanese divisions land at Semarang and capture it on the bounce. I'm just curious--did either side in the Pacific ever land four divisions in a single assault landing?

The U.S. landed 4 Divisions several times - at Leyte, Luzon, and Okinawa.

AFAIK, there were no Japanese 4-Division assault landings.

In a single day?

20 Oct 44

U.S. Sixth Army lands X Corps (1st Cav Div, 24th ID) and XXIV Corps (7th ID, 96th ID) on Leyte at 1000 along an 18-mile front between Dulag and San Jose.


9 Jan 45

U.S. Sixth Army lands I Corps (6th ID, 43rd ID) and XIV Corps (37thID, 40ID) on Luzon at 0930 along a 12-mile front between San Fabian and Lingayen. One of the best co-ordinated Allied assaults of the war, all 4 Divisions hit the beaches nearly simultaneously between 0930 and 0940.


1 Apr 45

U.S. Tenth Army lands XXIV Corps (7th ID, 96th ID) and III Amphib Corps (1st Marine Div, 6th Marine Div) on the Hagushi beaches along the west coast of Okinawa at 0830. At the same time, the U.S. 2nd Marine Div made a full-scale demonstration off the Minatoga beaches on the south coast of Okinawa.

Fair enough.

April 11/12 1942

Heavy, indecisive combat.

April 12/13 1942

Japanese Netties committed against Eastern Fleet while it was in port at Diamond Harbor--many torpedo hits despite the notional presence of torpedo nets and other defences in the harbor. Also commited against the carriers limping away, sinking both--that hurts. All I have left in the Eastern Fleet is one undamaged carrier.

April 13/14 1942

The Burma and 17th Indian Divisions surrender in lower Burma. Chinese forces in upper Burma continue in action. No more fantasyland attacks by Netties on Diamond Harbor. 14th and 4th Corps deploy along the Indo-Burmese border.

Japanese continue to advance against scattered resistance on Java and land at Dili and Koepang.

Note added: He has also been preparing for a landing at Darwin, but the Australian 1st Corps is deployed, dug-in, well-stocked, and prepared there with three elite infantry divisions supported by an armoured division further inland. If he defeats that, I'll know the game engine is fantasy. Those troops gave elite Axis mobile forces a very hard time in North Africa.

Note added: He has also been preparing for a landing at Darwin, but the Australian 1st Corps is deployed, dug-in, well-stocked, and prepared there with three elite infantry divisions supported by an armoured division further inland.

Harry - 3 "elite" Australian Divisions? Where did you get them? I can account for the two that show up at Aden, so I assume that you sent them to Oz instead of India, but did you evacuate the Aussie troops from Malaya and get them back to Oz to be rebuilt?

On the other hand, if you mean the Aussie Divisions that can be recombined from the various brigades and so on that start out in Australia, those have Militia, not professional troops, and they won't hold up well to a serious Japanese invasion, particularly if your opponent hits Darwin with a few Recon-directed BB bombardments.

ORIGINAL: ADB123

Note added: He has also been preparing for a landing at Darwin, but the Australian 1st Corps is deployed, dug-in, well-stocked, and prepared there with three elite infantry divisions supported by an armoured division further inland.

Harry - 3 "elite" Australian Divisions? Where did you get them? I can account for the two that show up at Aden, so I assume that you sent them to Oz instead of India, but did you evacuate the Aussie troops from Malaya and get them back to Oz to be rebuilt?

On the other hand, if you mean the Aussie Divisions that can be recombined from the various brigades and so on that start out in Australia, those have Militia, not professional troops, and they won't hold up well to a serious Japanese invasion, particularly if your opponent hits Darwin with a few Recon-directed BB bombardments.

I pulled a fake and extracted the Aussie troops from Malaya when my opponent was distracted--he could have done a number on the fast transports in Singapore, but didn't notice. I recombined them with the bird battalions to build the 8th in Darwin. I brought the 6th and 7th into Perth, then redeployed the 7th by sea and the 6th overland. The 1st and 1st Armoured were sent overland. I landed 90,000 supply and lots of engineers to build up the infrastructure at Darwin and Katherine. Most of the supply is still in Darwin, but a couple of months worth is in Katherine. The outlying ports are minimally garrisoned. My experience with this opponent has taught me armour can really make use of its tempo against infantry.

The 18th British division was first redirected to Java and I later pulled a fake, extracted it to Perth and then to Bombay, and now it's headed for Imphal.

Currently the 7th (AIF) and 8th (AIF) Divisions are in Darwin, 1st (militia) Division and the components of the 1st Armoured Division (AIF) are in Katherine, and the 6th (AIF) Division is trundling down the road from Alice Springs. I think I'll add it to the reserve in Katherine rather than redeploying it on the coast.

Ah, it sounds good. You ought to smack him hard if he does attempt to land there.

Thanks for the update!

April 14/15 1942

Fast ships of the KB lie low, probably in Truk. It looks like an advance is being prepared, so I need to get the American carriers over to the South Pacific.

Japanese capture Dili and Magwe. Gets swatted on the nose a number of other places.

April 15/16 1942

Since he had a black eye at Koepang, he brings in some old battleships to bombard it. That gives me an idea...

Mandalay and Batavia are no longer tenable as airbases.

Padang falls.

Naval bombardment of Koepang continues.

The situation is grave, but not serious.

April 17/18 1942

Allies recapture Malaybalay.

Japanese capture Malang and Meiktila.

April 18/19 1942

A Japanese army approaches Sian.

Deliberate attack by a Japanese army at Batavia is repulsed.

Koepang falls.

Japanese forces approach Mandalay.

April 19/20 1942

There appears to be an operation against Port Moresby underway. Coastwatcher reports from the Feni Islands report ships headed SW. I have SAGs in the area and four CVTFs entering the theatre. No reconnaissance operations in the area, but Betties are operating out of Rabaul.

Japanese forces capture Cotabato, Probolinggo, Loemadjang, and Lautem.

Japanese forces approach Mandalay and Sian.

April 20/21 1942

The ships the coastwatchers spotted came from the fast part of the KB. It's currently operating in the Coral Sea with about 400 aircraft. I have four CVTFs approaching. This could be an interesting cat and mouse game.

19th Division is headed to Port Moresby.