WitP mod v903 Ngineer(Japan) vs. Feinder(Allies)

[Feinder]

February 16th, 1944

National Morale and Strategic Map

National Morale - The usual about National Morale.

Strategic Map - And my incursion into the Dutch East Indies. Ok, it's not very far yet, but we'll gain momentum.

[Feinder]

February 16th, 1944

Admin Stuff

Research, Production, Losses, and Economy

Research - Added 2 chits into AmphiWarfare. Seeing as I'm going on the offensive, more AVLs and USMC-Divs will be nice. And added the 2nd chit into Logistics (transports needed!).

Production - Bought 3 USN Subs and a Garrison.

Losses - I nuked his Garrison. Sometimes it's the simple pleasures.

Economy - Back to usual. You can see a little dip from him, I presume from my bombing of the Oil Fields in Java and Southern Borneo.

[Feinder]

March 5th, 1944

India

Ran a few "recon in force" missions over Ceylon. He's move out his Mari-Bmbr there. Not surprised.

Shifting my Fighters towards Burma. It's not worth the precious MPPs to operate them.

US Army Inf-Divs are waiting on the coast for (regular) transports.

Indian Army units continue to move up/into the mountain range at Burma border.

[Feinder]

March 5th, 1944

China

He withdrew his attack from the Marshes at Hengchow. I continue to spend points upgrading Chinese units with InfWeaps(2). No land-based strikes this turn.

[Feinder]

March 5th, 1944

Timor Sea

While it was kind of expensive to load the HQ unit onto AVL (last turn), I want to keep invading as often as I can. So this turn, they invaded the little island where I nuked his Garrison (I wanted it anyway).

I've also moved up a Sub, to hopefully catch/surprise his CVL on a sortie; that would be nice.

Next round of objectives marked. After those secured, I'll go after the Celebes.

I've got 4x AVLs and 2x AVs loaded. Obviously the 4x AVLs can land next turn, the 2x AVs on subsequent turn (probably reserve the closer targets for them). You can see that I've bombed the ports on several of the targets, so that he can't reinforce them via regular transports (port-5 needed to unload in one turn).

Once the ports rebuild, I can start moving my fleet forward. Hopefully soon, I'll have to start marking this section the "Banda Sea" (because the Timor Sea will be mine).

[Feinder]

March 5th, 1944

National Morale and Strategic Map

National Morale - I'm actually deliberately NOT pushing my large fleet forward, until I need to. If I can kill ships in the open sea, it's definitely worth it. But just attritting against his LBA isn't worth it (in terms of National Morale loss). So that's why I'm pushing up and taking anything that I can, without engaging my fleet. Once I meet stiff(er) resistance, then I'll bring my fleet into play. But at this point, I'm invading as much as I can, as fast as I can, at relatively low cost (little combat). I expect greater push-back when I get to Celebes, because then I really will be threatening Java, Borneo, and Philippines.

Strategic Map - The little blue line advances a little forward.

[Feinder]

March 5th, 1944

Admin Stuff

Research, Production, Losses, and Economy

Research - I decided to max-out my Research budget. Why not. Dropped 2x chits into Heavy Bombers because they're way-fun. Also 2x chits into Ground Attack, because I'm going to need to blow stuff up on the ground. Also got the message that Chinese morale research completed.

Production - Nothing new built this turn.

Losses - No losses, no kills.

Economy - A little bit of a slide for him, but nothing really worth giggling over.

[Feinder]

Whew! All caught up. Turn is back to Ngineer, and I have no pending updates.

[Feinder]

March 23rd, 1944

India

A screen-cap that is only the Burma border. Thankfully, the fighting is now isolated there!

My troops cross the border mountains, and attack a Thai HQ unit. My forces took fairly heavy casualties, considering it's "just" an HQ. But all told, I'd rather be attacking an enemy HQ unit, than defending Cuttack!

Also moving the RAF and RCAF squadrons North/East to support the ground offensive.

[Feinder]

March 23rd, 1944

China

He continued to pick on my Chinese HQ with his LBA. HQ retreated.

I also decided to push a little in the Center. Declined to attack his HQ tho, unfavorable odds.

Rest of China is/was upgrades and replacements.

[Feinder]

March 23rd, 1944

Banda Sea

His LBA hit my landed HQ at Taberfane. My CAP intercepted, and we traded SPs a few times. The HQ is a high-value target, and hitting it and port means that it locks it in place.

Troops landed unopposed at bases in Ceram Islands and Northern New Guinea.
Next turn's objectives of Flores Islands and small bases off Java coast have been marked.

[Feinder]

March 23rd, 1944

National Morale and Strategic Map

National Morale is what it is.

Strategic Map - The line-of-control pushes a little farther north and west towards Philippines and Java.
The main element on this Strat Map is to show the locations of available Ground Formations.

I've got an HQ, 3x USMC-Divs, and 1x Inf-Div locked up in New Guinea at the moment. He keeps bombing Port Moresby, can't pull them out by Transport. However... While I did upgrade the flak there, I'm not that concerned about pulling them out. Frankly, it's tying down several of his LBA and CV assets, and I have enough troops to keep the pace of invasions otherwise. So they can sit in PM for now.

But my "process" thus far has been to
1. Invade with combat formation.
2. Rebuild the port.
3. Evac with (regular) troop transport.
4. Return to large base for replacements and revitalize.
5. Load onto AVLs for the next attack.

My actual deficiency is in (regular) troop transports. I need regular transports to not only move ground units into theater, but also as part of procedure above (I essentially need 2 regular transports, for every assault transport). I'm researching Logistics, to get a few more, but I think even if I had Logistics(10), I probably wouldn't have enough transports.

[Feinder]

March 23rd, 1944

Admin Stuff

Research, Production, Losses, and Economy

Research - No new funding for Research, I'm at max. I did get messages that Amphib-3 and Production-5 are now complete.

Production - Built New Guinea Inf-Div, because at some point I will evac the USA forces there, and the NG Inf-Div should suffice to hold Buna (and a yet-to-be deployed Inf-Corps to defend Port Moresby). Also built 4x USN subs, because they're quick to build, and fun.

Losses - No losses.

Economy - You can see the refund of the excess chit in Prod-Technology refunded.

[Feinder]

April 10th, 1944

India

Thai forces withdraw from Lashio, and China liberates it.

He pulled back his Thai HQ, and moved up Inf-Div. My real objective is stay adjacent to the Mines in Burma, which has thus been accomplished. I'll apply as much pressure as possible otherwise.

RAF and RCAF squadrons have made it into theater, and should be able to provide support starting next turn.

[Feinder]

April 10th, 1944

China

He hit my advanced Inf-Div south of Changsha. Caused enough damages to force it to retreat.

Replacements taken and finishing InfWeap(2) upgrades.

[Feinder]

April 10th, 1944

Banda Sea

His turn was more strikes on my HQ and it's port, with his LBA, CVLs and a CV.
I went forward with my invasion(s) of islands off Java and Flores Islands.

I decided to push my CVs up, to see if I could blunt his LBA, targeting that Tac-Bmbr in N. New Guinea at Sorong. Spotted several ported targets (shown on map), including the Mushashi (DN) outside of port. Multiple attacks attacked/sank Mushsashi. I then resumed attacks against the Tac-Bmbr. I'll admit, the damage to his Tac-Bmbr (or lack thereof) was extremely disappointing. My CVs are/were fresh with full air-groups and morale and readiness at (100 - 110%). It took 3x CVs (6 strikes) to sink Musashi. But remaining strikes by 7(!) CVs and 3x CVLs did NOT kill Tac-Bmbr (often strikes doing no damage). I probably did 7 steps to it...? Anyway. We'll take the kill of Musashi. But the Op thus far has cost 18x SP from my CAGs. You can see from the Strat-Map, what he has (known) in area, plus I'll assume that he's got more from the un-spotted list as well. His LBA/counter-strikes tend to be vicious, even with CAP from 10x CVs and 3x CVLs, and 2x Fighters, I'm expecting to lose two CVs (in exchange for his DN). But we'll see. The positive "learning" from this is, "At least I didn't plan to go head-to-head with his LBA at strength in the Solomons (as I had considered)." If I couldn't kill a single Tac-Bmbr, heading into the thick of his LBA would have been a disaster.

We also have 5x AVLs loaded, looking to get boots on the ground in Celebes next turn.

And elsewhere... We finally have a Para-Div at Guadalcanal, and prepped. Plan is to drop into Tulagi, just to close that one down. He's got CVLs and a Fighter in theater, so I have a CVL and a Fighter of my own, to provide escorts for the drop if needed.

[Feinder]

April 10th, 1944

National Morale and Strategic Map

National Morale - One the plus side, I knocked him down -1300 NM points. On the minus side, I also lost 1300 NM points (in air-step losses), and then we'll see what comes of his counter-attack.

Some interesting math, compared to last time I did this on 12-24-1943.
Average NM loss per turn, for USA since I started recording 03-11-1943 = -583 per turn.
Current NM for USA is (67046 / 110000). Given a continued rate of -583/turn means that
Below the 40% threshold for additional war-penalty = 39 turns = 03-13-1946.
At 0%, when USA surrenders = 115 turns = 12-10-1949.

On the plus-side, I bought myself an additional +3 months extension, since my last calculation on 12-24-1943.

Strategic Map - Control Line pushes North and West. Known enemy LBA and Naval plotted. Also noted assets whose location is unaccounted for.

[Feinder]

April 10th, 1944

Admin Stuff

Research, Production, Losses, and Economy

Research - With some ceiling available now in Research, I added a chit into Fighters, NavWeap, and Long-Range-Air. I probably should have put an extra chit into AAA instead of LRA, but I hadn't thought that through. NavWeap(3) should complete soon, and I'll shift that to AAA when available.

Production - India finally re-builds Med-Bmbr from beginning of war. With higher Amphib-Tech, another USMC-Div is available = Built. And spent the remaining coin on a Sub.

Losses - Scratch one Dreadnaught.

Income - He got a fairly sizable bump in MPP (365 to 380). That seems like a Industrial Tech completion, rather than a tech refund (since he hasn't spent anything on Tech since 1942). We'll see if he stays with 380 next turn.

[Elessar2]

My actual deficiency is in (regular) troop transports. I need regular transports to not only move ground units into theater, but also as part of procedure above (I essentially need 2 regular transports, for every assault transport). I'm researching Logistics, to get a few more, but I think even if I had Logistics(10), I probably wouldn't have enough transports.

Note made to bump up the US transport build limit. I might switch the build limit increases (with yes some very healthy increases per level) to the Ship Production tech, thus giving an incentive to invest there.

In one of my games I had better luck destroying a Maritime Bomber with my CVs.

[Feinder]

April 28th, 1944

India

Aided by the combined attacks by Chinese forces from the north, a Thai Inf-Div was pushed back and eventually destroyed. Japanese and colonial forces still in the area are single Thai Inf-Div, with Art-Div and HQ supporting. I expect that he will pull forces (if available) from the rail to support Mandalay. You can see by current strengths of my units that we did take fairly heavy casualties during the assault, but to actually destroy the Inf-Div was definitely worth the price.

I've also got 2x Inf-Corps and 2x Inf-Div as UK/Canadian troop currently in reserve (which is a lot to have in reserve). I've called for Gen. Montgomery to lead the UK/Can troops; he will arrive in a few months. In the meantime, I'll figure out a way to employ my UK/Can troops (given that the Burma front is relatively narrow).

He's got Fighters(3) at this point, which means that my RAF/RCAF fighters will take lop-sided losses. But, I'm also hoping that he's getting spread a little thin and that my numbers (3x squadrons) will have numerical superiority.