Islands of Destiny: RA 5.0 Japanese Side

[adarbrauner]

Insano is making points actually.

Before deciding though, proper air recon over the perspected targets is mandatory.

I would not in any case abandon active defense of Philippines or evacuate any other stronghold.

remember, seemingly his major logistic bases are in Australia, and not in the Carolines and Marianas, as done previously by the US prior to the invasion of Philipines, thus meaning he HAS to leave the scene, sooner orlater.

[HansBolter]

John, the base of the snake is the US west coast.

I agree whole heartedly with the advice not to go seeking glory in an empty back water area that holds no strategic value to your enemy.

You won't be interdicting the LOC to the PI by an excursion between NG and Oz.

He can simply sail reinforcements and supply/fuel to the PI straight through the central pacific shepherded by his 10>6 DS.

There is nothing to be gained except the enjoyment of the assault.

Then again, if that's what you're playing for then by all means tallyho!, err I mean Banzai!

Sometimes you just have to play for the fun, especially if you know your cause is lost. [:)]

[ny59giants]

Admiral Cochran,

Logistics...Logistics...Logistics!! [:D]

You need to move troops and other assets to places that will allow you to continue getting oil and fuel to the Home Islands for as long as possible. This proposed plan is like you invading India all over again. It make no strategic sense. [:-] From these new bases that Dan looks to be capturing, its only one more step to taking bases from Formosa to Kyushu and effectively isolate Japan from her economic assets.

The other question I know you are pondering is when to use KB for perhaps the final time. The DS will continue to grow and the odds for you having any success will continue to diminish each month from now on. If you are planning to use KB, I would gather ALL your CV/CVL/CVEs together and try to get as much LBA nearby before committing her.

Your Economic Minster,
Mr Benoit

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: HansBolter

John, the base of the snake is the US west coast.

I agree whole heartedly with the advice not to go seeking glory in an empty back water area that holds no strategic value to your enemy.

You won't be interdicting the LOC to the PI by an excursion between NG and Oz.

He can simply sail reinforcements and supply/fuel to the PI straight through the central pacific shepherded by his 10>6 DS.

Hear hear. [&o]

[pws1225]

+1 to all the above. Remember Sir that you went to war to gain access to the DEI and its oil. Therefore it only makes sense that defending the DEI LOC (Luzon and Formosa) has the highest priority.

[John 3rd]

April 4, 1944

The enemy is landing anywhere that I am not.

On the bright side they do land at Legaspi so we can come to grips with the bad guys.

NOTE
Frustrating day yesterday. Lost power for about 4 hours and then my monitor crapped out. On the BRIGHT side I have a new 24" monitor. YUM! Only got that one turn in on my day off and no wife or kids for half the day. Normally Dan and I would have gotten in 2-3 during that time but it was not to be.

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: John 3rd

April 4, 1944
On the BRIGHT side I have a new 24" monitor.

Wow. I thought the RN Erebus-class monitors with their 15" guns were big. Impressive!

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: John 3rd
The enemy is landing anywhere that I am not.

OK. So he's clearly going the central PI route. Oughta be interesting.

A piece of 'good news' here is that he should be within trigger range of kamikazes now too. Within 20 hexes of Tokyo, Takao or Saigon. (the manual says 15, but that's a known typo based upon 60km hex size). It's after January 1, 1944, so you're good to go there too. Unleash the falling chrysanthemums! [&o]

Did you get an OP message about activation?

Against a lightly defended opponent trying to scratch out a foothold across this theatre with many under-CAPed landings? Sorry...I just started drooling...

ETA: Does the Allied player have to have an AF or port > or = size '1' in the aforementioned ranges? It's not in the manual and I don't immediately recall. My frail memory says port size 1, but I could be mistaken.

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: John 3rd
On the bright side they do land at Legaspi so we can come to grips with the bad guys.

I hope this convinces you to marshal your forces on Luzon instead of chasing him in Ambon or points further East in the DEI?

[adarbrauner]

Dear friends,

the idea here is not to mount a strategic offense to reconquer lost territory;

the idea is to destroy some of his unsufficiently defended garrisons, and yes also to deprive him of much useful forward bases for his airforce and logistics.

This - i.e. loss of infantry and logistic units + even momentarily loss of forward base - shall badly affect enemy's operations in the short and long time.

We can concentrate and overpower him anywhere where the Main Carrier Force is not present or distant enough for first landing at least.

Failing doing it now but procrastinating is just a plain loss.

Of course the new landings in Philippines provide additional targets.

The measure here should be where a strike can have the greatest possibility of success against the importance of the target.

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: adarbrauner

Dear friends,

the idea here is not to mount a strategic offense to reconquer lost territory;

the idea is to destroy some of his unsufficiently defended garrisons, and yes also to deprive him of much useful forward bases for his airforce and logistics.

This - i.e. loss of infantry and logistic units + even momentarily loss of forward base - shall badly affect enemy's operations in the short and long time.

We can concentrate and overpower him anywhere where the Main Carrier Force is not present or distant enough for first landing at least.

Failing doing it now but procrastinating is just a plain loss.

Of course the new landings in Philippines provide additional targets.

The measure here should be where a strike can have the greatest possibility of success against the importance of the target.

I agree with the sentiment, but I feel as though the window for effective application of this ideal has passed. At least it's not relevant in this theatre. In order to be effective destroying a meaningful objective with insufficient garrison, the devil is in the details.

Furtive strikes against Sorong or Ambon will be unlikely to provide meaningful relief to the Japanese defense of the central PI. Exposing an ID at the bleeding edge of Japanese territory will invite a counterstroke against them while being ferried around in vulnerable transports.

Furthermore, piecemeal offensives in the Southern DEI will-by default-detract from robust defenses on Luzon, Formosa or the central PI. If a righteous 'boot' is desired for the Allied presence in this theatre, it should be focused on driving the Luzon invaders into the sea. Tootsweet! Not 750 miles away from the critical action for a meaningless moral victory.

[adarbrauner]

The feeling is that John 3D in this moment has overneed of land units, and naval assets.
Not to employ them is a plain loss.

The point is to strike, fast, quick, and very strong. If this better in Luzon, so good.

I feel though that John shall remain in overbalance even so, so why not to think big?

Why don't you think of the psychological effect this shall have on CR, and the loss by his side of confidence and clear ideas, and dispersion?

How valuable is this?

Moment being, CR can exercise only local naval supremacy, as long as we keep the KB and relative assets as a whole.

Therefore, even if I land --- anywhere, I can always retrieve/extricate my units from there. Not right?

[MakeeLearn]

In such situations,

Use enough of your forces to resist and slow down the main enemy concentration, without providing him a excess of your units to destroy.

Then with what forces you have left, conduct operations based on a mixture of Nathan Bedford Forrest with John Paul Jones.

[Chickenboy]

The effect on CR is the effect on CR. In my opinion, CR will see such an ill-conceived move as an opportunity to truncate and terminate such an incursion. He is very unlikely to recoil in fear about his flank caving in or having his entire operation destroyed. He is likely to identify a spoiling attack when he sees one.

Not to employ needed LCUs or naval units is a great loss of opportunity. Employing them in the wrong manner, at the wrong time at the wrong place would be catastrophic. The operative question is not whether John should have his units moving about in theatre, but where, when, how many and-most importantly IMO-"why".

Answering all of these questions before firing the remaining arrows in his quiver is the mark of an effective player. Players that make things go "BOOM" just because they can fall astray in their strategic analysis.

Of course, this is my opinion. Your mileage may vary. [8D]

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: MakeeLearn
Then with what forces you have left, conduct operations based on a mixture of Nathan Bedford Forrest

Git thar (Legaspi) firstest with the mostest.

[John 3rd]

He'll have Legaspi before I can do much, however, Naga will be another story. There is a Brigade, CD unit, and Engineer present. Forts are near 4. I order a Brigade to train down from Manila as well as begin flying one in with 91 Transport planes.

My gut tells me to strike where his mass is not.

I have an ID and two Brigades moving to Luzon to buttress defenses.

I did not see the Kamikaze activation message but have already began moving LOTS of planes to Formosa. My bet is that I shall see that message when Legaspi falls.

[John 3rd]

I have never, ever played for Victory Points before but that is what draws me to taking back some of these bases and KILLING OFF LCU. Still need a bit of time before I can do anything so we'll wait and see. Have five Recon Units resting at Soerabaja and will unleash them to find suitable targets.

The Fleet must be preserved but available for opportunity. I haven't said anything but it shall arrive at Marcus tomorrow. MY AOs left Manila four days ago (thank goodness) and they carry 80,000 fuel.

[adarbrauner]

Legaspi is a cancer that has to be cut off the earliest, alike the other surrounding spots (BTW where's 2nd Tank Div now?).

this does not prevent strikes at other suitable targets, but some friends here do not agree.

[Chickenboy]

Just a friendly pointer about Legaspi.

The bases 2 hexes distant, one NW, one SW (don't have my map open to identify islands) are equally troublesome. If left unchecked, these bases can form a sort of interlocking directorate of mutually supporting bases. It will be difficult to, without maximum effort, simultaneously suppress all three of these bases. Note please that these two island bases are within barge traffic distance from Legaspi.

I would expect the sea lanes in this area to be choked with barge traffic within the next few turns. This will make naval interdiction increasingly difficult for you moving forward. Your PT boat squadrons that had hitherto been earmarked for further south in the PI have their raison d'etre before them. Also, beware kamikaze profiles / missions that may inadvertently target barge traffic as opposed to 'real' naval targets.

Legaspi, if left unattended will quickly be (via the aforementioned barge traffic if nothing else) a site for allied LCUs to be deposited en masse. Your CD unit and small-ish regiment are unlikely to hold in clear terrain (what are their forts and preparation?) against an overland assault of divisional + strength.

Reinforcements. Tootsweet.

[ny59giants]

The problem with Japan defending the SE peninsula of Luzon is two fold - clear terrain and being coastal. The Allied ground forces are getting too powerful and you will be subject to multiple naval bombardments if Dan wants to do so.