Notes from a Small Island

[Canoerebel]

It's part of TNNBT - meant to dovetail (eventually) with Russian activation. The Russians will handle Korea, I hope.

Regarding the Russian air force, I think it'll be a big help. The key to the balance of the game will be Allied ops from the Yangtze to the Russian frontier. Alot of that is open terrain. Erik probably won't have big forts in some of those places. So I think the Russian air force will help both with local defense (fighters) and strikes on Japanese ground units. If it's permitted (and I think it is), Russian fighters will use Western bases and aviation support and vice versa.

For any readers who think that seem gamey, fuggettaboutit. The Allies find themselves deep in 1945 mired in a air war that is, at best, a 1:1 affair. Neither the Russians nor the Western Allies can use their heads to build aircraft better than what Japan gets (at least in terms of fighters). So a big conference was held in Havana, at which time the combined Allies agreed the only possibly way to approach the air war was full cooperation.

[erstad]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

Hey, Ross, looks like you're set to go! Glad you dropped by for a visit while on one of your cycling tours.

His photo does not look like the proper gear for a cycling tour.

[Canoerebel]

You don't wanna see him in his cycling gear: Spandex and Birkenstocks

[HansBolter]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

If it's permitted (and I think it is), Russian fighters will use Western bases and aviation support and vice versa.

Just tested it for you. Transferred 31 La-5FNs from Tamsag (highlighted hex) to Chihfeng, an American held base in Manchukuo.

As I have been shipping supply to Russian ports I have learned that while Russian TFs can set American ports as Home, American TFs cannot set Russian ports as Home. Probably states this in the manual and I read it years ago, but have had so little experience with this time period that I had forgotten it.

Also tested transferring Allied planes to Russian base and it was not allowed. Chinese P51Ds at Chihfeng cannot transfer to Tamsag. All seems to be WAD.

Screenshot of the air transfer:

[RangerJoe]

I think that basing deals with the country code of the base. All Soviet bases have a certain country code while the bases that they capture have a different one. The Soviets could turn over bases to the Western Allies or Chinese.

[Canoerebel]

That's the plan, Ranger. When the Russians take bases in Manchuria or Korea, I can pay the PP to transfer ownership to the Western Allies. That'll allow air ops.

I suspect, though I haven't tested, that Western aviation support would handle Russian aircraft at Russian bases.

[RangerJoe]

Yes, Western units can be at orignal Soviet bases but they can't move out of them. I got this from reading the AAR when Stalin objected to a rotten shushi delivery of the Siberian coast.

[CaptBeefheart]

I've tested this. You can base and operate Allied aircraft on Soviet-flagged bases outside the Soviet Union (e.g. in Manchuria, China, Korea or wherever else they manage to invade), but not in the actual original Soviet Union. No need to change the flag on the base for that purpose.

Conversely, you can base and operate Soviet aircraft on Allied-flagged bases in the region (I'd guess you can't put them in CONUS, but I didn't test that). Those La-7s and Yak-9Us can be useful for point defense.

Cheers,
CB

[Bif1961]

Is that Prince's bike?

[Canoerebel]

5/24/45 to 5/27/45

TNNBT: The Allied army is moving to get in position to isolate and lay siege to Hangchow and Shanghai. Most of the infantry is now on the Nanking side of the Yangtze, but a lot of the armor and artillery are still on the north side.

I'll have a 135k Japanese army bottled up in those two cities...but who's botting-up who may not be clear. Even as I work my angle, I have to watch out for any move by Erik to bring in a massive army from the west. Alot of his old Burma army is now in China. It might be tough if my guys are caught between a rock (Shanghai/Hangchow) and a hard place (10k enemy army moving in from the west).

So I'll have to be careful not to put my guys in some kind of bad-fix box canyon. The Allied army about to move into Indochina from Thailand represents the cavalry on the way. It'll be as large as Erik's old Burma army and probably considerably more powerful. When the two Allied armies combine, I don't think the Japanese can stop them. More about the Allies in Indochina in the next post.

Erik still hasn't moved to molest Death Star. It remains stationary in a position that offers substantially more protection than any others. So I change around and augment the defenses, knowing that I'm giving Erik a fixed look.

Why hasn't he employed his vast air force to attack? Shanghai is right there, with its level 7 airfield. That field has been damaged and is subject to Allied bombing and bombardment. Yesterday, a big fast BB TF bombarded with negligible results. This is not unusual but very vexing, becuase small DD or CL/DD bombardment TFs routine score far better than the big boys. I'll give it one more try tomorrow.

Erik has a ton of fighters and some bombers in China, molesting my outlying units. I've recalled them to the Nanking sector.

Tungchow airfield just went to level 8, doubling aviation support. I now have roughly 1500 aircraft based there. Most of these are righters, with a fair number of 2EB. This next turn, about 75 B-24s come in to help suppress Shanghai.

My airfields in this immediate vicinity are now larger than Erik's.

[Canoerebel]

5/24/45 to 5/27/45

Indochina: Allied armor in advance has clear out some of the enemy rearguard along the Vietnamese border. The armor will continue to advance. The infantry arrived by rail at Udon Thani and Phnom Penh, where they are transitioning to Move mode. I think the Allied army will be on the coast in strength in a week. From there it moves north towards China, with an eye towards relieving or combining with the Allied army at/near Shanghai/Nanking.

Supply may become an issue when the army is in Indochina. With that in mind, I'm looking at when and how to spring RN Death Star and RN Herd into the South China Sea. Currently most of the merchantmen are shuttling troops from Rangoon to Georgetown. The bulk of that is about over, which will free of cargo vessels to carry supply.

RN DS is providing cover at some risk, though Erik has had poor detection in this region for weeks. Before I'll chance the journey into the South China Sea, I'll want an airfield or two close to Singapore plus a good port or two (Saigon) on the Sea.

[Canoerebel]

5/24/45 to 5/27/45

Malaya: The real issue here is not when the Allies will besiege Singapore but when and if RN Death Star and RN Herd can safely move into the South China Sea.

I don't expect to lay siege to Singers for quite some time yet. As important as it is, it pails in comparison to what's going on in China. The sooner I can open the South China Sea to Allied warships, supply TFs and troop transports, the better.

[jwolf]

For unloading at Georgetown, do remember to check your naval support. I've had cases where my initial landing came in with good naval support, but then later on I moved a lot of that support to more forward bases. Then I noticed slow unloading at the original port and it took my a while [:o] to figure out my mistake.

I am wondering how long it will take for your SE Asia army to link up with the one near Nanking. Even with no opposition at all, just moving there would take a month or more. It seems to me that the Japanese could have a modest window of time to put some really heavy pressure on your forces near Nanking.

[Canoerebel]

Yes, Naval Support is an issue. An RN base force is inbound from Rangoon, so that should help a bit.

Erik definitely has a window of a month or so before the old Burma army comes up. But if he can take on 15 modern Allied divisions heavily supported by artillery, armor, big airfields and a proximate Allied navy, I'll be a bit surprised.

We'll know more tomorrow. About 1500 Allied AV, including two Marine divisons with 80 experience, will attack an enemy division, and enemy tank division, and possibly reinforcements on the way. This will take place in a wooded hex with lots of Allied air support. If it works well it should cool Erik's ardor just a bit. If things go well for him, either there or in the vicinity, then he might be emboldened. But the Allies are prepared to fight and can do so until the cavalry arrives from Indochina.

[RangerJoe]

You could always move the DS and the Herd down to IndoChina to pick up the army and bypass his. Then get some good kimchi . . .

[Canoerebel]

His army would still beat mine, at this point. His guys are arriving now, with the laggards only a week or two behind.

But moving DS into the South China Sea is a possibility, as is a second idea. Both of those are under consideration, though probably I wouldn't pull the trigger until Tungchow airfield goes to level nine in about six days.

[Canoerebel]

5/28/45 and 5/29/45

TNNBT: The opening Allied attack in the forest west of Shanghai goes well. This is likely to develop into a large meeting engagement. That suits me, as taking on and defeating the enemy army is my chief objective, pending the arrival of the "cavalry" (the Allied army in Indochina). There's a good chance the Allies will prevail in this hex in the next day or two, roughing up this little Japanese army. Then the question will be whether Erik keeps coming or whether he elects to keep his distance, establishing a perimeter further out, cordoning off most of China but allowing the Allies space to focus on Shanghai and Hangchow.

Air War: I'm taking heavy losses each turn. Allied escort missions and any kind of LRCAP are getting chewed to pieces by enemy sweeps and CAP. I'm losing a lot of my best LBA fighters and can't sustain these losses for another week even (the Allied pools are that thin). I've made adjustments and will now only use my guys on CAP and hexes in which my escort/sweep missions would only encounter enemy LRCAP. Erik can't afford to fly LRCAP, either, and thus far he isn't even trying to protect his ground units away from bases (that's a big help to me).

Airfields: Allied bombardments and bombings have clobbered Shanghai, which shows 100% damage (and is in fact heavily damaged). So he's lost Shanghai and Nanking as effective bases and the Allies are using Nanking and Tungchow, in addition to Death Star. So he can put together mega strikes vs. DS when he wishes, but he lacks some of his best, most proximate airfields.

SEAC: ERik's army is now almost entirely out of Indochina. It'll take me a bit of time to close on the coast and move up to the CHina frontier, but that's just the nature of advancing in this region. The advances are going very well and I'm pleased, but TNNBT are fated to circle the wagons and fight the Indians on their own for a good six weeks.

[Canoerebel]

5/30/45 to 6/1/45

TNNBT: A complicate brew, this. The Allies prevailed in the meeting engagement south of Nanking, battering several enemy divisions. Erik withdrew his small army before a decisive blow could be inflicted.

Now we have two armies facing each other - Erik's is gathering strength daily. Mine is already strong. I don't want to move west, further from my own air support and base of operations, yet I can't move east, to besiege Shanghai, since the enemy is gathering and could pose a real threat to Nanking and Tungchow.

Moreover, Allied LBA fighters are depleted. I have 19 Mustangs left in my pools, 50+ Thunderbolts, and 95 Lightnings. I'm losing 20 to 50 of these models a day. The math isn't good. So I have to modify air operations drastically, which also has an impact on what I can do on the ground and how well I can protect shipping at Tungchow.

Things are dire enough that I expect Erik to launch an all-out attack against Tungchow in the near future. I've taken countermeasures.

As long as I don't let my army wander off and get pummeled or isolated, I think this sector is secure until the cavalry arrives; but I have to monitor things carefully.

The Cavalry: The good guys are making substantial progress in Indochina. Vinh fell today, allowing a big army already in Strat Mode to move forward from Udon Thani. Probably, though, that army will have to remain at Vinh until base forces, supply and lots of AA come up, enough to provide security when my guys move on Hanoi and Cam Ranh Bay. The Udon Thani contingent includes some AA, but a lot more is in Malaya, waiting for the railroad to clear to allow rail transport to Udon and then good-road strat movement into Vietnam. The first Allied unit reached Saigon today. It's lightly defended and will fall in a few days. That may be enough to boost the Allies into the points lead for the first time ever (Erik's maintained a lead of about 800 points the past week or so).

Malaya: Singapore is a fortress. The Allied army should reach and take Malacca in about three days. From there, the siege will commence against Singapore. More importantly to the overall war effort, the Allies should secure the entire rail system leading to Bangkok within a few weeks. There's a gap in the northern sector, but Allied troops are closing from both ends and resistance is all but over. Only the poor road system is delaying things that long.

Long Term: A key event in the next week or so will be to spring RN Death Star into the South China Sea while also attending to a big supply convoy inbound from Shangri-La.

[Canoerebel]

6/1/45 and 6/2/45

You know it's a weird war when two USN DDs engage in a bombardment missions vs. Hankow, China, and undergo an attack from an IJN sub. The sub missed it's shots, the DDs later put 14 hits on the sub, and the bombardment was effective against the level 9, heavily stacked airfield.

China: The Allies have established a perimeter, of sorts, and are waiting to see if the enemy will attack or establish an MLR of their own. I've decided not to bring in supply at this time - doing so would require DS to detach and move to see for a week or so. This isn't a time to take chances in China. Supply is fine for a month or two or three, so I'll wait until the cavalry arrives (or nears) from Vietnam.

The Cavalry: The Allies hold Vinh and a large army is strat-moving by good road from Udon Thani. Saigon will fall tomorrow. The enemy has weak forces holding the bases in between, with Allied units closing that gap from both sides. Within a week, the Allies should control the rail all the way to Vinh, with a large army gathered there and ready to move on Hanoi/Haiphong. This will include a heckuva lot of AA units. All told, the Allied army moving north exceeds 11,000 AV.

Singers: The Allies took a vacated Malacca today. A smaller army is railing in their. Within a week, the Allies should be at or one hex short of Johore Bharu, beginning the Siege of Singapore. As base forces, supply and air units move forward, I hope to establish control of the air over Singers, reducing the airfield and giving the opportunity to spring RN Death Star into the South China Sea at relatively low risk.

[Canoerebel]

6/3/45 to 6/7/45

The Allies are working hard to establish the key rail link between Malaya and northern Vietnam, and there's a lot going on under the hood. But from a sparks and flames standpoint, this was a quiet period. Oh, but the amount of firepower within proximity to each other is so great that the tension is nearly unbearable. Unbearable, I say!

TNNBT: The two sides have taken positions south of Nanking, staring at each other, waiting to see if the enemy will move, daring him to. Until the cavalry arrives from Indochina, I'm keeping my forces within a tight perimeter, lest Erik overwhelm them with the huge army of his own that just arrived from Burma. Death Star is positioned at the mouth of the Yangtze and has been there for weeks. It's the premier defensive position, so I haven't moved a single hex. I want Erik to attack. I know he's considering it. I think what just happened in Miller's game might even inspire him a bit. The Allied air force, meanwhile, is fragile and can only seek battle under limited favorable circumstances. Help is on the way, and I think Erik will want to strike before it arrives.

The Cavalry: A big Allied army is gathering at Vinh, including a lot of AA units (with many, many more scheduled to come in from Malaya when the railroad is open - in fact, that's probably a key to the Allied future success in China). The Allies have Saigon and down past Hue and are working to clear the remaining bases on the railroad. I think that'll be complete within a week or ten days. By then, the rail in Malaya should also be clear, allowing efficient transit.

Malaya: The Allies are gathering at Malacca and Erik looks like he will also make a stand at Johore Bharu, just outside Singers. The rail line to the north is almost clear now. In fact, it might be clear as soon as tomorrow. When that happens, a large army will move from Malaya to Cambodia by rail, thence by good road to Saigon, thence by rail north to Vinh or points north.

RN Death Star: Remains on patrol near Georgetown, awaiting the right moment to move into the South China Sea. That moment is really a "feel" thing, and I'm not feeling it yet.