Global War : a Japanese AAR

[yvesp]

Following the naval action, the allies launch massive attacks on all fronts.

In Mandchuria, the Russians are stopped by a lone disorganized marine unit.
They suffer severe damage, but manage to fulfill their objective.

[yvesp]

In China, Mao's troops try to rupture the Japanese weakened front, but they fail. However, the Japanese cannot expect to hold long under such conditions of supply lack.

[yvesp]

In Korea, the US troops succesfully capture the city of Pyongyang. Indeed, the Japanese are losing their reinforcements as fast as they arrive : there is little chance of establishing a front line, especially as long as supplies don't flow!

[yvesp]

The British fail to capture Surabaya, but the combat is not vain: half of the Japanese garrison on the island has been killed, and the other half is not likely to hold long : being a non elite mech unit, it will be easy to dispatch once disorganized.

And the Americans manage to land a mot corps near Rabaul : as long as a closer major port has not been captured, all major ports are targets until the US fleet finds closer quarters than Brisbane.

[AlbertN]

From where the USA launched their Korean invasion?
And what's the Game Turn? I think I've missed it somewhere!

[yvesp]

ORIGINAL: Cohen

From where the USA launched their Korean invasion?
And what's the Game Turn? I think I've missed it somewhere!

This happened in the turn of Jul/Aug 44, impulse 2.
The divs came from Brisbane or such a far away place.

The USA landed two divs, one near Port Arthur, the second near Seoul. They were brought by high speed cruisers (both Alaska class) which could move into the 3 box (no landing penalty : the odds where an appropriate +21), the landing spots being chosen for that reason. See post #295.

The Japanese later managed to destroy the div near Port Arthur, but did not dare to attack the div near Seoul (a 3 terr against a 1 div, behind a straight and protected by the fleet and its air cover)

In this turn (Sep/Oct 44), the US/British brought some reinforcements at great risk (in the 1 box, a small fleet carried notably the Australian HQ) and a 8 rated mustang, and some other (an US 8 inf split in two divs) and another div with the main fleet.

The purpose of this move was to bypass island hoping, which would take ages (as the failure on Rabaul showed), but immediately confront the Japanese with a major threat : Capturing the Pacific island later should be easier if the Japanese fleet is kept in check. The USA hoped to capture Port Arthur and make it a base for their fleet. They also badly wanted to interrupt the railway providing supply to the continental army. Last of all, they wanted to be able to hold some territory to hold land based fighters to support their fleet. In the long run, combined with the attack from the Russians, they hope to have their supplies flow directly from Europe through Russia, and avoid having to send them by vulnerable convoys : this objective is closed to being fulfilled.

The primary objective (cut supplies) has been fulfilled. The second (capture of Port Arthur) has failed.

However, the Japanese are unable to react to the triple threat of the Russians in northern Mandchuria, the USA in and around the China Sea, and the attacks from the Chinese communists. They already have lost the Seoul factory, and will shortly lose two others in Mandchuria : I am at a lost for devising an appropriate strategy, unlike the Germans who hold their position strongly now, and which are quite hard to dislodge!

[yvesp]

The destructions of this turn Sep/Oct 44.

We don't see neither the Commonwealth nor the USA, who have both lost little (4 units or so.)

Japan suffers most. Germany doesn't suffer as much as this would suggest: many units were in surrounded pockets which the allies are now reducing.

The most important trouble for Germany now lies in the fact that it is short on oil. Most of the air force was not reorganized, nor was the navy : the Baltic convoys now have no protection. The allies don't have this problem, who gulp nearly 30 oil per turn!

For Japan, most losses come from the fleet. Land losses will be rebuilt and apear in Japan where they'll bolster the defense. While the continent seems all but lost, Japan itself is not yet captured!

Russia has surprisingly high losses: the offensive in Mandchuria is still not a simple walk, despite the high superiority of the Russian forces, and in Germany, the battles were unclonclusive with a high casualty rate.


Sep/Oct 44 losses

[yvesp]

The German production falls to 7 : the Commonwealth launched one of their first strategic raid, which successfully hit a factory for one PP loss.

The Japanese are at 12BP. But as noted before, this could very fast halve if the continent cannot be held, as seems the case.

Japan builds emergency units now:
- 1 infantry
- 1 garrison
- 1 engineer div (good for defending cities!)
- 2 Ftr2
Japan considered building territorial units, but only the 4-2 mandchurian one is usefull. The 2-2 is just good to be killed, and the 2 others in the force pool are utterly worthless: the Korean one, the Madagascar one... So they prefer building fighters.
Japan doesn't try to repair ships : the battleships are not that usefull in a defensive role. It's too late to rebuild new carriers. And the carrier force is now too depleted to fight the allied fleets. Even the Commonwealth fleet is now probably strong enough to beat the Imperial Navy: The focus now is about defending Japan, and try to smuggle some supplies to the continent.

The Chinese build:
- 1 pilot
- 1 inf div

The Commonwealth builds:
- 2 offensives
- 2 Lnd4
- 2 Lnd3
- 1 Ftr3
- 1 inf
- 2 carrier planes
- 2 pilots

The USA build:
- 4 offensives
- 2 Lnd4
- 2 Lnd3
- 2 Ftr2
- 3 Pilots
- 1 para

Russia builds:
- 2 offensives
- 4 infantry
- 1 Lnd4
- 1 air transport
- 1 Ftr2
- 1 militia


As expected, the USA conquer Korea, while the Russian liberate Poland.
Not very suprising: China refuses to surrender to Japan. One wonder why... But neither does Germany surrender to the USA.

However, considering that Gemrmany now runs on little oil, and that whatever remains is likely to be soon cut off, the fate of Germany will be sealed when most of its oil guling oil will stay disorganized.

It is interesting to note that, up to now, the Commonwealth is doing most of the effort against Germany. It also have the best air force in the allies, and by a long shot: it has three 9 fighters, five 8 fighters, and four 7 rated fighters. Half of these double up as very decent bombers. By contrast, the USA only have three 8 rated fighters (one being a twin engine fighter with penaties), six seven rated fighters (with the same restriction) and two 6 rated fighters ; however, most double up as poor bombers, but four double up as good bombers.

Up to now, the western allies have build few if any Lnd3 bombers.

[yvesp]

The situation in Japan itself is rather good : lots of garrisonning units.

However, the Japanese troops are overwhelmed in Mandchuria.


Nov/Dec 44 impulse 1

[yvesp]

In China, the Japanese line looks strong, but it is a clay giant. The Japanese have no air force to counter the now mighty Chinese air squadrons. And of course, all units are unsupplied, and keeping supply open just so as to succeed in a land move looks just impossible! This means that the whole Imperial army is stuck in place.

How long can it hold against the communists ?
Hopefully, with such a weather, a kind of truce might hold for some turns ?


Nov/Dec 44 impulse 1

[yvesp]

The NEI is still held by the Japanese, but this won't last. However, all oilfields are garrisoned, and the allies won't use the oil if they recapture the country. But do they really need it ?

Surabaya is now virtually in British hands, as they just have to land (not invade) a div nearby. And the approching corps in Sumatra leave little chance to the Japanese holding the islands.


Nov/Dec 44 impulse 1

[yvesp]

In Papua, the allies have a lot of units. However, the strong garrison in Rabaul makes it unlikely that it will be captured easily. The USA are still stung by their previous failure. And do they now need Rabaul ? Surabaya might be good enough. Or possibly Port Arthur, if they manage to capture it.


Nov/Dec 44 impulse 1

[yvesp]

Germany is so crammed with units that the Germans barely managed to put all their reinforcements on the map... Advancing in the glue will be a difficult task. It is good for the allies that the Germans now have only one Dora flying and no bombers. It is also good to know that most oil consumming oil that are now disorganized will stay in that state from turn to turn. This may even prevent the German from using defensive HQ support, which caused the failure of more than one attack.

This impulse, the allies will successfully target the hex SW of Berlin (British/Americans), and the lone infantry in the Czech mountains (Russians), which protect a synth oil.


Nov/Dec 44 impulse 1

[yvesp]

Now that the Japanese fleet has been cut down to size, the allies launch another super-combined ; there is no time to lose in bringing units on this war theater and recapturing key objectives.

The first targets are the Japanese convoys in the Pacific. While the Japanese still have many convoys, any loss is good ; and any loss my just put some new units out of supply. The Bismark sea area is particularly important in that regard : it commands the supplies to rabaul. Which is too strongly defended to be captured while supplied.


Nov/Dec 44 impulse 1

[yvesp]

The Mariannas command the supply of both Rabaul and Truk : aborting the convoy there is a great achievement which may help very soon.

Furthermore, resupplying these areas would force at least a Japanese combined, possibly a naval move.




Nov/Dec 44 impulse 1

[yvesp]

In Mandchuria, the ground strikes are thwarted by the rainy weather ; but to the Japanese dismay, they are very successfull over Rabaul.


Nov/Dec 44 impulse 1

[yvesp]

Batavia stands the air strike.


Nov/Dec 44 impulse 1

[yvesp]

Too many places lacka a proper defense in the Japanese area...

Madagascar islands...


Nov/Dec 44 impulse 1

[yvesp]

Borneo...


Nov/Dec 44 impulse 1

[yvesp]

Canton...


Nov/Dec 44 impulse 1