Page 15 of 319
Big Picture
Posted: Thu Feb 21, 2013 11:50 pm
by John 3rd
ORIGINAL: obvert
ORIGINAL: John 3rd
3. He likes to be aggressive but KNOWS how crazy aggressive I can be. Since I have thrown all my grandoise planning out the window and are, instead, fighting in China I wonder if he is confused and/or jumping at shadows? All wild schemes for expanding the perimeter are now gone. YES: taking Western Australia is wild but everything else is now cancelled. For the first campaign I have ever played in, I will allow myself to settle onto the defensive. This has never been done before in a game of mine. Might just shock the HELL out of him.
Those are some of my initial thoughts to your query...
Sounds like this could be strange territory for you both. CR's most recent games have also been extremes as you know.
With Dan's ability to spin virtually anything into a positive, I doubt you moving to the defense will shock him much. What will is if you can turn this into an advantage by squashing his first efforts to push forward. Playing on the defensive means you have opportunities to put pressure on your opponent if he doesn't meet his objectives. By starting this earlier than you (and possibly he) would have thought probable, you have the chance to thwart him while the Japanese are still fairly strong, rather than after he has all of those new tools and numbers to do whatever he wants in multiple places on the board. You might think of how you can encourage him to be more offensive, over-confident and quick to fill in where you have left gaps. Risky, sure, but ripe with possibilities.
This Posting has really kept me thinking throughout the day. Had a good phone chat with Michael as well.
Decisions:
1. I am OFFICIALLY scrapping the Western Australia Operation. My Defensive Line (YES: I am using that word as of April 17, 1942) in Australia will run from Tennant Creek--Normanton--the NW Coast of Australia--Carnavon.
2. The three ID in Java will be lifted and moved to SE Pacific for an Operation against Luganville--Efate--Noumea. There are currently 2 1/2 ID at Rabaul presently. This combined force with the entire Kaigun will commence the Operation. Goal is to widen the Southern Salient AND provide an opportunity for Dan to Strike. Will move assets into Tulagi to expand the Port as a forward base there.
3. Will move against the Allied conclaves in Dutch Harbor, Akutan, and Cold Bay. Don't care about the bases, just want to troops there killed.
4. Continue the China Operations until we advance the line to the next river NW of the Changsha complex of cities.
Open for commentary...
The Line
Posted: Fri Feb 22, 2013 12:22 am
by John 3rd
This would be the proposed China LIne I would settle at if possible. The RED line is the original line I wanted to get to. The PINK is what I am now thinking:
RE: The Line
Posted: Fri Feb 22, 2013 3:40 am
by 1EyedJacks
What's the airfield level of Kweiyang? If it's a level 3 airfield then why not push your pink line up to that base?
RE: Big Picture
Posted: Fri Feb 22, 2013 12:09 pm
by janh
ORIGINAL: John 3rd
This Posting has really kept me thinking throughout the day. Had a good phone chat with Michael as well.
Decisions:
1. I am OFFICIALLY scrapping the Western Australia Operation. My Defensive Line (YES: I am using that word as of April 17, 1942) in Australia will run from Tennant Creek--Normanton--the NW Coast of Australia--Carnavon.
2. The three ID in Java will be lifted and moved to SE Pacific for an Operation against Luganville--Efate--Noumea. There are currently 2 1/2 ID at Rabaul presently. This combined force with the entire Kaigun will commence the Operation. Goal is to widen the Southern Salient AND provide an opportunity for Dan to Strike. Will move assets into Tulagi to expand the Port as a forward base there.
3. Will move against the Allied conclaves in Dutch Harbor, Akutan, and Cold Bay. Don't care about the bases, just want to troops there killed.
4. Continue the China Operations until we advance the line to the next river NW of the Changsha complex of cities.
Open for commentary...
Sharp observation, the lack of engineers at Port Blair. Looks all he is doing in the IO/Burma theater is buying time and giving ground. The RN must be elsewhere. Might be he's concentrated it at a western port, Karachi or Mumbay, or perhaps even pulled it off map. Or send it into the Pac theater. These armored decks make a good forward CV TFs, to absorb IJ bombs and keep the early US decks out of harms way. I kind of expect them to cooperate somewhere, since RN shows so little activity.
Otherwise -- thumbs up for the Hebrides/Nomuea operation. Sounds like a great plan!
RE: The Line
Posted: Fri Feb 22, 2013 7:55 pm
by John 3rd
ORIGINAL: 1EyedJacks
What's the airfield level of Kweiyang? If it's a level 3 airfield then why not push your pink line up to that base?
Was looking at establishing a line below the river. Might be something to seriously consider.
I have SOOOOOOO much airpower in Theatre now. Canton just got the 9th Air Fleet HQ, an Air Flotilla, and another large BF. Am moving two Bafe Forces to each of the cities NE and NW of Canton. Those shall become Forward Fighter Bases. When I have the next turn I shall total the entirety of what is present.
Operation Sho-ONE
Posted: Fri Feb 22, 2013 8:01 pm
by John 3rd
OK. Sho-1 is now a go. Target Date is May 15, 1942.
We shall reorganize and transport the Kaigun to Truk and Rabaul. Have 8-10 SS finishing repairs in the Home Islands so they will move to Rabaul. There are already about a dozen SS Operating in the area.
Will create the full OOB in a little while but figure 5 1/2 Inf Div assigned to the task. Will have to bring a large number of air units east as well. Bases: Lunga is currently AF-2/Port-1, Munda is AF-1/Pt-2, Buin is building up with engineers just arrived. Have a lot of reinforcements sitting in Tokyo right now. They shall all head for the Solomons.
Want Dan to stay defensive for the moment so I'll take Horn Island to keep attention fixed there. Normanton will be grabbed as well. Need about a month of time to sit everything in place for a solid and massive attack.
Step Two
Posted: Sat Feb 23, 2013 5:31 am
by John 3rd
Step One is developing a plan for Sho-1.
Step Two is getting the troops freed for their assignments within Sho-1. Most of this occurs on April 17, 1942 when the Allies at Batavia surrender to two veteran Inf Div. Japan loses 175 and takes 13,773 POWs from 11 units. The two ID and a pair of Eng units immediately shift to Strategic Movement and head for Soerabaja where they shall meet up with the rebuilding 4th Inf Div. All three shall move to join-up with the Imperial Guards Brigade, 6th, and 14th IDs for the Invasion of Luganville--Efate--New Caledonia.
On the same day, KB departs Pt Hedlund and Soerabaja and heads for Truk.
Should add that the P-40E Fighter Wing (now identified as the AVG) re-appears over the skies of the contested Central China Area and is CRUSHED. Between 20-30 planes are shot down during the day for just a couple of fighters and a few bombers. NICE! Japanese Airpower flexes its muscles and pastes Changsha's AF, troops around Shaoyang, and numerous AF in the area. It is a good day's work.
RE: The Line
Posted: Sat Feb 23, 2013 6:58 am
by FatR
ORIGINAL: John 3rd
This would be the proposed China LIne I would settle at if possible. The RED line is the original line I wanted to get to. The PINK is what I am now thinking:
Not bad, but why no thought about taking Sian and cities north of it? Any extra source of oil is valuable, and it is relatively isolated from the rest of China theatre.
RE: The Line
Posted: Sat Feb 23, 2013 1:43 pm
by Q-Ball
John, where were all the troops on Java? I must have missed that.
IMO, Batavia is the best place for the "Last Stand" on Java, but curious what others think. Soerbaya is more valuable, but being in clear terrain is not defensible. There are a couple mountain hexes, but I don't like those because the Japanese can easily just bottle you up and let you rot there; they aren't at all strategic, and there is no reason the Japanese have to be in a hurry to take them.
My thinking on Batavia is that there are reasons for the Japanese to want to commit troops to eliminate it; the Allies can use it as a sub base and seaplane base for awhile if it's not taken
That's my two cents
RE: The Line
Posted: Sat Feb 23, 2013 2:06 pm
by John 3rd
He divided his forces between Soerabaja and Batavia. This is one reason why it took about 4 weeks longer then wanted because I had to go from one end of Java to the other. Those two ID shown in the screenshot are in excellent shape. They'll be ready pretty quickly. The 4th ID will need time to restore itself.
I agree. What do people think of Q-Ball's thoughts with Java?
RE: The Line
Posted: Sat Feb 23, 2013 2:15 pm
by Chickenboy
There's no great place in Java for a last stand. Both Soerbaja and Batavia have their strengths and weaknesses. I do agree with Q-ball about the mountainous hexes and Tjitilap on Java: they can be / should be bypassed by the IJ en route to the two aforementioned prime objectives on the island.
While Batavia does have a better defensive terrain modifier, it is also closer to the North-the likeliest route of ingress for the IJ. Having Batavia as your main bulwark will mean you come under likely air attack from Oosthaven, Palembang (if captured) and possibly other sources of interdiction. It also means that you will probably be attacked sooner than Soerbaja because of the likely route of approach of the IJ. Lastly, Batavia can still be bypassed by an IJ landing at Merak and skirting movement down the SW coast of Java.
RE: The Line
Posted: Sat Feb 23, 2013 2:29 pm
by bradfordkay
I have never figured out why Dan seems to think that Pt Blair and Cocos Island are such important bases to hold. For the allied player, once the Japanese control Sumatra, Java and Burma both of those bases can be death traps: the Japanese can bomb the airbases into rubble and then sink any re-supply ships at will. As mentioned earlier in this AAR, these bases require major naval forces to support, and so any attempt by the allies to hold on to them plays right into the hands of the Japanese. JMO...
RE: The Line
Posted: Sat Feb 23, 2013 3:00 pm
by ny59giants
Both Batavia and Manila importance increase as last stands for the Allies when you play with stacking limits. Even their limited Light Industry helps with the later beta patches. The mountain hexes in Java are great as they get the terrain modifiers in combat and cannot be hit by BB TF. Their downside is their stacking limits.
I would say that an Allied player needs to start prepping most, if not all his troops on Java for Batavia within the first week.
Roadblock
Posted: Sun Feb 24, 2013 2:18 pm
by John 3rd
April 18, 1942
Four Chinese Corps line-up to assault the Japanese roadblock at Shaoyang. They do not count on Japanese Airpower. After the assault of over 33 Fighters and 155 Bombers, the JAPANESE attack. The demoralized Chinese (having suffered nearly 1,000 casualties) collapse yielding at a 4-1 result. The IJA suffer only 384 casualties and inflict 7,399 Chinese. NICE!
At Haiphong harbor the IJA 18th ID finishes unloading and immediately entrains to get as close to Nanning as possible...
Lo Mein
Posted: Sun Feb 24, 2013 9:26 pm
by John 3rd
Current Screenshot of China.
1. Bottom Left--The 18th ID moves by Rail from Haiphong. Southern Army will begin unloading in 3-4 days.
2. Center--Continue moving troops through the hole in the Chinese Line. A Mortar unit, 2 Cavalry units, and a Brigade move through the area.
3. Shaoyang--The base now has its original ID, a Birgade, a Regiment, Para Raiders, and 2 Base Forces for an AV of near 500.
4. Top Right--Three Inf Div are moving by rail to Wuchow to finish the job at Changsha.
Tip of the Spear
Posted: Sun Feb 24, 2013 11:57 pm
by John 3rd
Here sits the ever so lovely Solomons and New Guinea. The tip of the Japanese spear resides here as engineers work to increase the size of bases and prepare for Sho-1. There are 8-10 more engineering units on the way as well as an Air Fleet, 2 Air Flotilla, and 6 more Base Forces.
Bases:
Lae
Pt-2, AF-4, Aviation Support 24
Port Moresby
Pt-2, AF-3 (51), Aviation 48, and 144th Inf Reg present
Milne Bay
Pt-2, AF-2 (57), Aviation 42
Tagula Isle
Pt-0, AF-1 (30), Aviation 48, AS 33
Guadalcanal
Pt-1, AF-1 (51), Aviation 24, AS 320 with CD unit, Naval Guard, and 1st China SNLF Assault Brigade
Munda
Pt-2, AF 1 (64), Aviation 24
Buin
Pt-1, AF-0 (30), Aviation 24
Rabaul
Pt-5, AF-5 (61), Aviation 87, AS 776 with 6th Inf Div and Imperial Guards Brigade
RE: Tip of the Spear
Posted: Tue Feb 26, 2013 7:20 am
by Prydwen
Why, oh why did I ever take a break from this game? A couple days ago I got on and started reading through your AAR and that was all it took. Almost a year ago I had decided to take a break from this game and maybe even give it up forever. Seems I never have time to really get deep into a campaign. And it looks like I got rid of most or all of my files so here I am re-inventing the wheel. Long story short, I hope to be playing a RA 5 PBEM within the next month or two.
Go get 'em John!
Joe
RE: Tip of the Spear
Posted: Tue Feb 26, 2013 1:37 pm
by John 3rd
It is good to see you back and participating agin MadHouse. I always liked your avatar due to Planet of the Apes being one of my favorite Movie Series. Great and TWISTED stuff! Got my boys watching the apes films.
Australia Surprise
Posted: Tue Feb 26, 2013 9:14 pm
by John 3rd
April 23, 1942
The Japanese follow up the Shock Attack on the 22nd with another Shock Attack to finish off the Aussie--American Resistance! The useless Japanese light tanks prove to be too much for the defenders as they steamroll the defense with a 2-1 attack. For 21 casualties and 19 tanks the Japanese capture 3784 troops, 159 guns, and 110 vehicles as three units surrender and the remaining twelve retreat towards Alice Springs.
The best two (of four) Tank Regiments follow in pursuit...
RE: Got some!
Posted: Tue Feb 26, 2013 9:32 pm
by jeffk3510
ORIGINAL: John 3rd
YUMMY!
April 14, 1942
A pleasantly non-disrupted landing on the 13th gives way to a Deliberate Attack at Port Blair on the 14th.
SCORE A 64-1 ASSAULT!
BANZAI!
BANZAI!!
BANZAI!!!
Japanese Lose159 Troops in exchange for---READY?---8,256 POWs. Four Brigades and an HQ fragment fall into Japanese hands...
[X(]
I've always thought Port Blair to be very high risk-reward... in this case it was a bad risk... those troops could have been better used elsewhere IMO..