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Thank you Zeta! Finally a good news....

Terje, i've had left only 2 squadrons of liberators on Naval Search in order to support the Cats at PH...however your comment made me realize that, with the upcoming beginning of phase 2 i'll really need those airframes, so i swicthed them back to ground attack training and downgraded to b-26s or A-20s....

What i think? Well, everything says India.
India is closer than Oz and less fuel-consuming. India has a stronger industry/res infrastructure so it's a more juicy target for Japan. It's also easier to defend once you conquer it. I also think that the road-railroad system in India much favours the attacker cause it will let him chose between many vectors of advance.
However i got an intel report of the 5th of March saying that the 20th recon rgt was prepping for Brisbane! It's the first "prepping" intel i get since Singapore fell and it may indicate that all our thoughts about India were wrong.
I don't know if this is just a trick or a real intel sightin...what i know for certain is that more than 120 units are stationed at Singapore right now...And the KB is moving towards those waters.
If he wants to go for Oz it's a long way to go and, in order to isolate Oz he needs NZ, Tasmania and a strong presence in the SOlomons-Fijii...while till now he hasn't done none of that. I really hope he's real target is Oz cause i feel defenetly safer there. I'm concentrating my forces between Brisbane-Syney and Melbourne and the Australian forces represents a toughter nut to crack than the Indian units...however...well, however i do fell he's going for India. He's been too quiet in Burma since he conquered it and the scounting actions he's been doing in the last months with subs and AVs may indicate he was trying to get some infos about my disposition in India.
I don't think he's coming for the Hawaii neither...from Singapore it's a damned long way to reach Hawaii and he would be a fool to use Singa as a Hub for his units if his ultimate goal was PH.

In India my situation is not improving much. Forts are coming up too slowly and most of my forces have very very low morale and exp. However there isn't much i can do right now. I need to remain calm and cool and keep in mind that i don't have to win on the beaches...i just need to buy as much time as i can in order to get the reinforcements coming from Aden and Cape Town.

March 5-7th 1942

Another two quiet turns. We managed to sink a I-class sub between PH and San Diego, while a japanese SCTF managed to damage one of my dutch sub near the Adamans.
He's strongly reconing Bangladesh...i bet for a landing there. I'm keeping my units not in base hexes so he cannot see them with his recon planes. Massing troops in Viza area.
My recon says there's nothing left of the japanese forces that conquered the Aleutinias...probably i'll think about a very small invasion during the summer...

ORIGINAL: terje439
Have you gotten intel that he has moved the units in Oz out of Oz, or are you flying recon missions and suddenly units are not where they used to be?


Terje

Yup, i've reconquered a base (port something...west of Darwin) with a base force that was pulled back from it...she moved back and the base was empty... strange

Hi GreyJoy,

At this speed of advance, it seems unlikely that your opponent can hold everything he captures. Taking back bases after he left them is a good strategy. In China, it will complicate supply flow to his forward units, in the DEI, it will leave pockets to be cleared at a later time (that is, if you can prevent autovictory). And, most importantly, it will be good for your morale (you need that now, don't you?)

I think you should try to work out a couple of coffeetable calculations : Japan, at this stage, has about 45K AV available. 4k are restricted in Japan, there are about 12k in Manchuria (he can buy some away, but slowly), and garrison duties in China tie about 8k more. Overall, he probably has about 20k AV available for attack, 10k in China, and 10k in the Pacific, and if he uses all of them, it means, lots of rear bases are empty and up for grabs... Since Rader is often using very large stacks (1000-4000 AV, say), this puts a limit on the number of operations he can conduct and the number of rear bases he can garrison... The maps you posted also show you have lots of units scattered behind his lines. In China, this is probably your best strategy right now (together with trying to make a stand in Chungking). In the DEI, Borneo, Celebes, New Guinea, you can probably do quite a bit of mischief too.

This won't win you the war, but it will probably help stop the present panic.

Francois

ORIGINAL: fcharton

Hi GreyJoy,

At this speed of advance, it seems unlikely that your opponent can hold everything he captures. Taking back bases after he left them is a good strategy. In China, it will complicate supply flow to his forward units, in the DEI, it will leave pockets to be cleared at a later time (that is, if you can prevent autovictory). And, most importantly, it will be good for your morale (you need that now, don't you?)

I think you should try to work out a couple of coffeetable calculations : Japan, at this stage, has about 45K AV available. 4k are restricted in Japan, there are about 12k in Manchuria (he can buy some away, but slowly), and garrison duties in China tie about 8k more. Overall, he probably has about 20k AV available for attack, 10k in China, and 10k in the Pacific, and if he uses all of them, it means, lots of rear bases are empty and up for grabs... Since Rader is often using very large stacks (1000-4000 AV, say), this puts a limit on the number of operations he can conduct and the number of rear bases he can garrison... The maps you posted also show you have lots of units scattered behind his lines. In China, this is probably your best strategy right now (together with trying to make a stand in Chungking). In the DEI, Borneo, Celebes, New Guinea, you can probably do quite a bit of mischief too.

This won't win you the war, but it will probably help stop the present panic.

Francois

Hi Francois,

well, in China that's what i'm doing, even if Rader is using smartly his garrisons. He put always enough forces in contested hex to hold me and block my movements. However i'm trying to harrass him everywhere i can.
In Borneo and DEI that's not the case. He's destroying every single pocket left behind and there's really anything left to move. Manila is sieged and bombed daily by a garrison which is strong enough to prevent me from pushing it back.

10k AVs in the pacific is a LOT...means he can send 8k AVs to India or Oz...with these numbers how am i supposed to hold the line?

Hi GreyJoy,

ORIGINAL: GreyJoy
10k AVs in the pacific is a LOT...means he can send 8k AVs to India or Oz...with these numbers how am i supposed to hold the line?

That's what I thought when I first came up with the figure (I play Japan). But then, the Pacific (plus SRA) is very large. From what you posted recently, he had about 3k in Singapore + Malaya (he must keep minimal garrisons there). How much on Luzon? 1000 or so? What about Java? and Sumatra? And then if he's cleaning up remnants (a wise idea) you'll get a few hundred more on various islands. This is only SRA, add the pacific (a couple hundreds), and Burma, and Australia, and his new conquests in South Pac, and Aleutians...

In any case, I don't think 10k can mean 8k mobilisable for India or Oz, or many places would be left empty. And he has conquered a VERY large perimeter.

You really need to do the sum. I might be wrong, but you might be surprised...

Francois

Hope you're right Francois.

As far as i can tell he has already re-deployed those unrestricted units that he used in China during the first month of war (those units that he used to crush my defensive positions at Nanning), so he may have now something like 12 Divisions plus probably more units bought from Manchuria. He could easily leave naval guards and SNLF units in DEI-SRA and Pacific by now...knowing i don't have the capabilities to strike back there at the moment and use those crack divisions to open the second phase of his conquests...anyway, nothing i can do about it right now...just wait and see and prepare my defences as better as i can

I'm keeping my units not in base hexes so he cannot see them with his recon planes.

Actually, you can spot troops in non-base hexes with Recon planes.

ORIGINAL: ADB123

I'm keeping my units not in base hexes so he cannot see them with his recon planes.

Actually, you can spot troops in non-base hexes with Recon planes.

Oh...thanks.

So i'd better chose some different ways to hide my units and leave him with a bit of uncertainity (!?!?) about my troops deployment

Thx

AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR Mar 07,8 42
 
Think i was completely wrong [:o]. He's not coming for India - non completely at least. He's probably coming for Oz.
In India Japan conducted 2 fast transport landings at Akyab and Cock's Bazar...this is a prelude possibly to a "light" advance in Bangladesh but don't think this is a major thrust for India...he should have landed at Viza or Colombo for that one...
Our subs attacked several times the japanese landing forces near Port Blair but all of them missed their targets...[:(] His ASW is becoming every day stronger in those waters...will have to leave soon
 
At the same time he landed 4 Naval Guards Units (for a total of 250 AVs) at PM...this is the first step of the isolation of Oz.
Float planes sighted over Aukland in NZ...you know what it means right? IJN is coming...
Luckly my Convoy has already arrived and is still unloading at Melbourne...Oz is well supplied now, even if it's still very short of fuel.
 
In China Luchow has fallen...but that was expected...Jap troops are surrounding Chungking...the end is near
 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ASW attack near Trinkat  at 45,63
 
Japanese Ships
      DD Sanae
      E Shimushu
      DD Kuretake
 
Allied Ships
      SS KVIII
 
 
 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sub attack near Trinkat  at 46,65
 
Japanese Ships
      DMS W-1
      SC Ch 8
      DD Hatakaze
      DD Harukaze
 
Allied Ships
      SS O21
 
 
 
SS O21 launches 4 torpedoes at DMS W-1
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Amphibious Assault at Cox's Bazar
 
TF 29 troops unloading over beach at Cox's Bazar, 54,43
 
 
 
 
 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Amphibious Assault at Akyab
 
TF 90 troops unloading over beach at Akyab, 54,45
 
 
 
 
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sub attack near Trinkat  at 45,63
 
Japanese Ships
      DD Kuretake
      E Shimushu
      DD Sanae
 
Allied Ships
      SS KVIII
 
 
 
SS KVIII launches 2 torpedoes at DD Kuretake
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
Ground combat at Lanchow (81,34)
 
Japanese Deliberate attack
 
Attacking force 15141 troops, 106 guns, 282 vehicles, Assault Value = 670
 
Defending force 7552 troops, 54 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 205
 
Japanese adjusted assault: 397
 
Allied adjusted defense: 47
 
Japanese assault odds: 8 to 1 (fort level 2)
 
Japanese forces CAPTURE Lanchow !!!
 
Allied aircraft
      no flights
 
Allied aircraft losses
No Allied losses
 
Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), experience(-)
Attacker:
 
Japanese ground losses:
      79 casualties reported
         Squads: 1 destroyed, 6 disabled
         Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 22 disabled
         Engineers: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
      Vehicles lost 22 (1 destroyed, 21 disabled)
 
 
Allied ground losses:
      2578 casualties reported
         Squads: 190 destroyed, 13 disabled
         Non Combat: 174 destroyed, 2 disabled
         Engineers: 15 destroyed, 0 disabled
      Guns lost 13 (13 destroyed, 0 disabled)
      Units retreated 5
 
 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ASW attack near Port Blair  at 47,57
 
Japanese Ships
      DD Yudachi
      DD Asagumo
      DD Yamakaze
      DD Samidare
 
Allied Ships
      SS KX
 
 
 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ASW attack near Port Blair  at 49,58
 
Japanese Ships
      APD Hishu
      DD Asagao
      DD Yukaze
      DD Yakaze
      DD Sawakaze
      E Hachijo
      CM Itsukushima
      DMS W-12
      APD Tade
      APD Kiku
      APD Shimakaze
      LSD Akitsu Maru
      AK Hirokawa Maru
      xAP Shanghai Maru
      xAP Keihuku Maru
      xAP Huso Maru
      xAP Takatiho Maru
      xAP Suwa Maru
      xAP Kashima Maru
      xAP Haruna Maru
      xAP Hakozaki Maru
      xAP Hakone Maru
      xAP Argentina Maru
      xAK Zyuyo Maru
      xAK Shinwa Maru
      xAK Awajisan Maru
      xAK Shinyubari Maru
      xAK Montreal Maru
      xAK Turuga Maru
      xAK Johore Maru
      xAK Okiyu Maru
      xAK Tamagawa Maru
      xAK Asosan Maru
      xAK Kansai Maru
      xAK Amagisan Maru
      DD Kuri
      DD Hasu
      DD Yugao
      DD Karukaya
 
Allied Ships
      SS KX
 
 
 
SS KX launches 2 torpedoes at APD Hishu
 
 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ASW attack near Port Blair  at 49,58
 
Japanese Ships
      CM Saishu
      SC CHa-3
      CM Aotaka
      CM Shirataka
      AK Sakito Maru
      xAP Teikyo Maru
      xAK Unkai Maru #6
      xAK Hikosan Maru
      xAK Cheribon Maru
      xAK Bandoeng Maru
      xAK Ehime Maru
      xAK Taian Maru
      xAK Okuyo Maru
      xAK Sumanoura Maru
      xAK Yamagata Maru
      xAK Hokuan Maru
      xAK Asahisan Maru
      xAKL Buyo Maru
      xAKL Oridono Maru
      xAKL Hinko Maru
      PB Konsan Maru
      PB Takuna Maru #7
      PB Showa Maru #5
      PB Showa Maru #3
 
Allied Ships
      SS KX
 
 
 
SS KX launches 2 torpedoes at CM Saishu
 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pre-Invasion action off Port Moresby - Coastal Guns Fire Back!
 
74 Coastal gun shots fired in defense.
 
Japanese Ships
      CL Yubari, Shell hits 1,  on fire
      CL Tatsuta
      CL Tenryu
      DD Yuzuki
      DD Mochizuki, Shell hits 1,  on fire
      DD Yayoi
      DD Kisaragi
      PB Tama Maru #5
      PB Chiyo Maru #4
      PB Yahada Maru
      PB Sento Maru
      PB Kinsyo Maru #2
      PB Narita Maru
      PB Katsuragisan Maru
      PB Shotoku Maru
      PB Santos Maru
      PB Nagata Maru
      PB Keijo Maru
      PB Kaiun Maru
      PB Kaikei Maru
      PB Ikuta Maru
      PB Fukui Maru
      PB Choko Maru #2
      PB Busho Maru
 
Japanese ground losses:
      40 casualties reported
         Squads: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
         Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 6 disabled
         Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
 
 
 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pre-Invasion action off Port Moresby
 
45 Coastal gun shots fired in defense.
 
Japanese Ships
      xAK Manko Maru
      PB Karimo Maru
      PB Santo Maru
      PB Sensan Maru
      xAK Nanman Maru
 
Japanese ground losses:
      19 casualties reported
         Squads: 0 destroyed, 4 disabled
         Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
         Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
 
 
 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Invasion Support action off Port Moresby - Coastal Guns Fire Back!
Defensive Guns engage approaching landing force
 
20 Coastal gun shots fired in defense.
 
Japanese Ships
      CL Tatsuta
      CL Tenryu, Shell hits 1
      DD Mochizuki,  on fire
      PB Yahada Maru
      PB Sento Maru
      PB Kinsyo Maru #2
      PB Narita Maru
      PB Katsuragisan Maru
      PB Shotoku Maru
      PB Santos Maru
      PB Nagata Maru
      PB Keijo Maru
      PB Kaiun Maru
      PB Kaikei Maru
      PB Ikuta Maru
      PB Fukui Maru
      PB Choko Maru #2
      PB Busho Maru
      PB Chiyo Maru #4
      PB Tama Maru #5
 
 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Invasion Support action off Port Moresby
Defensive Guns engage approaching landing force
 
9 Coastal gun shots fired in defense.
 
Japanese Ships
      xAK Manko Maru, Shell hits 1
      PB Santo Maru
      xAK Ikushima Maru, Shell hits 1
      PB Karimo Maru
      PB Sensan Maru
      xAK Nanman Maru
 
 
 
 
 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Invasion Support action off Port Moresby
Defensive Guns engage approaching landing force
 
6 Coastal gun shots fired in defense.
 
Japanese Ships
      xAK Taito Maru, Shell hits 1,  on fire
      xAK Tarushima Maru, Shell hits 1
      xAK Ikushima Maru, Shell hits 1,  on fire
      PB Karimo Maru
      PB Sensan Maru
      PB Santo Maru
      xAK Nanman Maru
 
 
 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
Ground combat at Port Moresby (98,130)
 
Allied Bombardment attack
 
Attacking force 748 troops, 9 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 40
 
Defending force 6009 troops, 50 guns, 2 vehicles, Assault Value = 243
 
 
Allied ground losses:
      5 casualties reported
         Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
         Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
         Engineers: 1 destroyed, 0 disabled
 
 
Assaulting units:
    Port Moresby Brigade
    15th RAAF Base Force
 
Defending units:
    II/66th Naval Guard Unit
    65th Nav Gd /1
    67th Nav Gd /1
    61st Nav Gd /2
    Maizuru 2nd SNLF /4
 
 

So let's sum it up. Japan landed at Akyab and Cock's Bazar in India. Probably he will creare advanced AFs here.
At the same time he landed in force at PM, despite the opposition was minimal (and he knew that cause PM has been reconned for ages now). I bet next step will be new Caledonia. The presence of some Alfs confirmed over NZ means he has surface assets there, for sure they're cleaning the way for an invasion of new Caledonia. I have nothing there except for the french unit that starts there.
 
Starting to sweat...

So let's sum it up. Japan landed at Akyab and Cock's Bazar in India. Probably he will creare advanced AFs here.

Akyab and Coxs Bazar make easy stepping stones to the Rail Lines without having to land against prepared defences and CD guns. If I were him I would now land plenty of armour and a couple of divisions, and they will play Pacman throughout the northeast of India.

If I were you I would ignore the South Pacific for a year. Come back when you've got Hellcats and Essex class CVs...

Good luck.

ORIGINAL: ADB123

So let's sum it up. Japan landed at Akyab and Cock's Bazar in India. Probably he will creare advanced AFs here.

Akyab and Coxs Bazar make easy stepping stones to the Rail Lines without having to land against prepared defences and CD guns. If I were him I would now land plenty of armour and a couple of divisions, and they will play Pacman throughout the northeast of India.

If I were you I would ignore the South Pacific for a year. Come back when you've got Hellcats and Essex class CVs...

Good luck.

Ignoring Sopac for a year? Well, i don't wanna throw away my naval assets (already so badly treated after the 7th Dec onslaught - 8 BBs sunk at PH plus 2 more brit BBs during the first stages) but the situation looks so grimm (China conquered, Burma conquered, India under the threat of a possibile massive invasion, same fate for Oz, PM on the way to be conquered, Caledonia with no hopes of survining, Solomons and Marshalls already in his hands...)...what am i supposed to do? An extreme Sir robin? Wouldn't this strategy be too "risky" playing on scenario 2? I've read somewhere here on these boards that with scenario 2 the allies cannot really let japan have free hands for the first 1,5 years...if it's so the allies really risk an autovictory by 1.1.43...

Greyjoy, been reading and have to agree with Francois. There is only so much Japan can do. The key for you is keep track of the KB. Don't be afraid to use the UK fleet assets to discourage the enemy from reinforcing Cox's Bazaar and Akyab. If necessary, beach the planes and run the CVs back to safety. Use the BBs, CAs, CLs, and DDs, to disrupt supply up the coast. Eventually you will get sufficient a/c into India to use land a/c to hold the coast. Beware of raids to sever your supply line to Capetown. Diego Garcia and other islands out there need to be defended. I used KVs and ran out some very small land units. Was able to take back all the areas invaded rather easily.

Fuel to Oz is essential. Start hauling everything (fuel, supply and resources) you can out of the DEI to Perth, and then start hauling as much as possible into India/Columbo from Middle East and Capetown from England. Get fuel moving to England from US East Coast. Then run as much as possible to Perth and Sydney from Capetown. (Make sure KB is elsewhere). Don't forget to lift USArmy Divisions to OZ. And start moving the OZ armor northeastward. They are deadly in the open terrain up there.

One advantage you do have. When Japan concentrates, they need to move tons of supply forward. Run a few SC task forces into rear areas. You will be surprised how much shipping you can bag. It does slow them down. Just keep tracking the 800 pound gorilla. Avoid that and you can effectively operate anywhere else. What you are learning is the value of force projection--and you can do the same in return with your CVs.

Remember too, this is game and not a simulation. Any semblance to RL is merely accidental. Just because "they" did it in real life doesn't count here. It is all about what they and you CAN do that matters. The strategies still apply, ie, the main objectives have not changed, but the execution is quite different (as you are discovering).

Right now the key for you is to not lose your carriers in an encounter with the KB. You can lose the war in one afternoon (of course you can win it too--but the risk is way too high) if your carriers get smoked.

Francois is right. Find where they are investing the AV value and hit them where they ain't. And by hitting them I mean hit and run attacks. You cannot invest troops with any hope of holding out, so wait to invade when you are much stronger. Instead, get your troop force organized and activated so that you can invest defenders where they will do the most good.

Hang in there. You are supposed to get run over right now. The choices you make, however, will determine if the comeback is in 43 or 44. And don't forget that the further they go the more they have to supply. Those lines will get pretty long and become very vulnerable. So even if they get into OZ or the SOPAC or the coastal India area, eventually they get spread too thin, and the roll back goes faster.

Time to be organizing your supplies, your troops, eventually your planes, thinking where to put these assets to good use. Build bases in New Zealand and Tahiti if the SOPAC falls. If you can get troops to Suva first, do so, it is your most defensible of the SOPAC bases. One division dug in in Suva will make Pago Pago an attractive alternative to the enemy. But remember, keep track of the KB. If they come, no amount of troops or planes will hold anything. So don't be afraid to build up further out than RL did. You will still need routes to OZ from the WC. Just go further south. Most (not all, mind you) Jap players like to hold a line from Noumea to Suva to Pago Pago and Canton Island. You will still have some territory to exploit.

Good Luck, it gets better.

The only value of SoPac for Japan is either bagging defending units, or as a supplementary operation for a major offensive against Oz/NZ. Or to get a point edge for an autovictory. Otherwise, you should be glad if your opponent goes here. Even if everything up to Tahiti is taken, with a bit of preparation you can still easily supply Australia through Perth. Meanwhile, Japan will be forced to supply these islands through very long lines of communication, and while Allies have functionally infinite fuel and supplies, with the only problem being hauling them to the frontlines, Japan does not. And necessity to garrizon all these islands will make the Japanese perimeter much weaker overall.

Focus on not losing India or Australia at the moment. That's where Japan can actually grab something valuable, as well as enough points to almost certainly secure an auto-victory. In the Pacific, hold only Hawaii, then Aleutians, when you'll be able to affort it. If Japan overextends into SoPac, go right for Gilberts/Marshalls when it will be the time for Allied offensive.

Thanks guys for your support...is much much needed at the moment!
 
I have no problem supplying Oz with supplies...what i'm really missing is fuel right now. Oz industry sucks fuel like it was water and we're not using the latest beta patch so i cannot turn it off. Cape Town relies on the monthly convoys that arrives but it only gets 100k fuel per month which is just enough to feed my navy there. I don't have TKs to spare to be sent to East Coast-UK-Cape town route...nor from Cape town to Oz...i really have few of them and they're badly needed in WC in order to feed Hawaii and make it a big hub for the next months.
i'm trying to send the TKs i get in Abedan to CT...let's see if i can arrange a little supply-chain.
 
Tomorrow i'll reply to your kind comments...
 
Still thanks
 
good night

Those TFs you launched against near Port Blair, are those the ones that made the landings at Cox and Akyab? Looks like quite big invasion TFs to me.

How much AV in Chungking by now? The units you have in China that are in hexes with enemy troops, do you order them to attack to kill them off in order to respawning them in 30 days, or do you keep them to disrupt supply movement?

Terje

ORIGINAL: GreyJoy

Thanks guys for your support...is much much needed at the moment!

I have no problem supplying Oz with supplies...what i'm really missing is fuel right now. Oz industry sucks fuel like it was water and we're not using the latest beta patch so i cannot turn it off. Cape Town relies on the monthly convoys that arrives but it only gets 100k fuel per month which is just enough to feed my navy there. I don't have TKs to spare to be sent to East Coast-UK-Cape town route...nor from Cape town to Oz...i really have few of them and they're badly needed in WC in order to feed Hawaii and make it a big hub for the next months.
i'm trying to send the TKs i get in Abedan to CT...let's see if i can arrange a little supply-chain.

Tomorrow i'll reply to your kind comments...

Still thanks

good night

You'll never have enough tankers. You must haul fuel in xAKs. You should have lots and lots of DEI refugees right now. Get them off-map and to the EC to get a first load. Any size xAK or xAKL will work between EC and CT (other poster who advocated using England--why? Just adds another unload/reload cycle.) Off-map they don't need to refuel or have range constraints; it's abstracted in the code. Use big, long-legged xAKs to haul from CT to Perth. If you can't turn off Oz industry eventually you can haul it to Tasmania for an interim dump until you go north later in 1942/43. But early, get some fuel into Perth and stay away from his subs as much as you can. The route to Tasmania can be full of them.

ORIGINAL: johnjohn

Greyjoy, been reading and have to agree with Francois. There is only so much Japan can do. The key for you is keep track of the KB. Don't be afraid to use the UK fleet assets to discourage the enemy from reinforcing Cox's Bazaar and Akyab. If necessary, beach the planes and run the CVs back to safety. Use the BBs, CAs, CLs, and DDs, to disrupt supply up the coast. Eventually you will get sufficient a/c into India to use land a/c to hold the coast. Beware of raids to sever your supply line to Capetown. Diego Garcia and other islands out there need to be defended. I used KVs and ran out some very small land units. Was able to take back all the areas invaded rather easily.

Hi Johnjohn and thanks.

How am i supposed to defend Diego G. and those other islands out there without weakening my already weak Indian defences? Wouldn't it better to simply let him have those if he wants them and concentrate on the defence of the sub-continent?

ORIGINAL: FatR

The only value of SoPac for Japan is either bagging defending units, or as a supplementary operation for a major offensive against Oz/NZ. Or to get a point edge for an autovictory. Otherwise, you should be glad if your opponent goes here. Even if everything up to Tahiti is taken, with a bit of preparation you can still easily supply Australia through Perth. Meanwhile, Japan will be forced to supply these islands through very long lines of communication, and while Allies have functionally infinite fuel and supplies, with the only problem being hauling them to the frontlines, Japan does not. And necessity to garrizon all these islands will make the Japanese perimeter much weaker overall.

Focus on not losing India or Australia at the moment. That's where Japan can actually grab something valuable, as well as enough points to almost certainly secure an auto-victory. In the Pacific, hold only Hawaii, then Aleutians, when you'll be able to affort it. If Japan overextends into SoPac, go right for Gilberts/Marshalls when it will be the time for Allied offensive.

That's what i've been doing till now. After the Alfred's suggestions i've redeployed those forces sent to Canton is and Pago Pago. However i'd like to find a isle that is able to become a hub between NZ and Christmas isl...i badly need to secure my routes (even if long ones) between WC and Oz which are costantly exposed to his raiders...

ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58

ORIGINAL: GreyJoy

Thanks guys for your support...is much much needed at the moment!

I have no problem supplying Oz with supplies...what i'm really missing is fuel right now. Oz industry sucks fuel like it was water and we're not using the latest beta patch so i cannot turn it off. Cape Town relies on the monthly convoys that arrives but it only gets 100k fuel per month which is just enough to feed my navy there. I don't have TKs to spare to be sent to East Coast-UK-Cape town route...nor from Cape town to Oz...i really have few of them and they're badly needed in WC in order to feed Hawaii and make it a big hub for the next months.
i'm trying to send the TKs i get in Abedan to CT...let's see if i can arrange a little supply-chain.

Tomorrow i'll reply to your kind comments...

Still thanks

good night

You'll never have enough tankers. You must haul fuel in xAKs. You should have lots and lots of DEI refugees right now. Get them off-map and to the EC to get a first load. Any size xAK or xAKL will work between EC and CT (other poster who advocated using England--why? Just adds another unload/reload cycle.) Off-map they don't need to refuel or have range constraints; it's abstracted in the code. Use big, long-legged xAKs to haul from CT to Perth. If you can't turn off Oz industry eventually you can haul it to Tasmania for an interim dump until you go north later in 1942/43. But early, get some fuel into Perth and stay away from his subs as much as you can. The route to Tasmania can be full of them.

Ok, so i'm now trying to redeploy my AKs in order to set up a supply-chain between EC and CT and from there to Perth...however i feel the latter route is very very exposed...he keeps AVs with float planes around and SCTFs ready to smash my convoys...how am i supposed to escort all these convoy routes!?!? I have not enough surface forces to guarantee all my supply routes against his cruisers...forgetting for a moment about the Kb which will probably be involved in other more important tasks