ORIGINAL: Lowpe
ORIGINAL: PaxMondo
So two weeks until A6M3 arrives and you say it will be in BIG production numbers. At this point in the war, it is very competitive aircraft. Not quite what George is if it arrives in early '43, but still pretty good. It should swing air war in your favor IF you can get enough built.
I can make anywhere from 90 to 210 from day one of activation. I probably really need the 210,probably for about 2 months, but then that would mean no r&d on the A6M3a which really isn't the end of the world with careful use of the KB. I have a ways to ponder it before deciding.
May 1 sees the Nick at 100 planes per month, a few days later the A6M3, and June the Tojo IIa arrives currently set at 60 planes per month (I am thinking of upping that to 90).
I am thinking the Frank A will arrive in May of 1943 if not sooner. For some odd reason this mod has the Frank arriving normally 1/44. The Sam is still 6/45 but I have a ton of r&d factories on it. A ton.
Obviously, I think if I frustrate the Allied air war then the game will devolve down to a night bombing campaign of Honshu and those darn Yankee bases in Manchuko. Allies will be able to night bomb far in advance of any night fighters showing up. I have gone Irving, Nick D, Frances and Peggy. Just the potential of it really changes the game.
I maybe able to sweep those bases and have air superiority there, but I suspect the Soviet AA will neuter the IJN bombers and the heavy bombers will be left to perform their horrors all of 1943. The question is can I mount an offensive against the Soviets in 1943? I guess we will find out.
Yeah, 210 to start. If you can't get control of the skies, the KB in Dec won't matter. [;)]
You will have no choice but to mount a MAN/SOV campaign in the very near future. I think the real question is how much of the DEI can you secure?
My rationale is: Fighting for Soerbaya is pointless if Honshu is getting bombed. You have no need for additional oil/resources if your economy is under attack.
To me, that means:
1. more VEH than normal. A lot more. your 3 tank div's are going to be in the thick of it for a long time.
2. Can the Nick hold up as a ground attack bomber? It is going to have to, but I fear your losses are going to be really high. That means a LOT of pilots trained at low ground/strafe. Helen's too.
3. If ground attack doesn't work, then you are going to need to bomb from +15K, and my exp is that it just takes SO many groups to inflict any damage. Besides the number of units needed to commit, the supply expenditure is massive.
4. If that fails, (I think both 2 and 3 will be only modestly successful), it means a lot more attacks at less than optimal odds ... and more ground losses.
Bottom line is that your supply expenditure is going to be way off norm; much higher and you have to plan for that as best you can. There aren't many ways to save supply for IJ, you know them all. My thoughts on that are:
Review and re-consider your aircraft plans. Some models may have to be tabled, that 100K supply to get them into production might be better used to feed your armies.
EX: NF's. Yeah you need them, but can you suffer with just 2 models? Irving and an early IJA model and then worry about late NF's if there is a late game. Face it, any NF will distract the bomb run and that is what you need. Kills are a bonus, but those are rare until late war anyway.
If you can map a way to get through '43, honestly, I think '44 will resolve itself which is really rare. I say that as I think to get through '43 means getting control of CHI/MAN/SOV and if you can do that a lot of things in 44/45 become easier.
But, can you get through '43?
