Meanwhile, in another corner of the multiverse (No Dmitry Z zone)

[John B.]

Mr. Kane,

Thanks for the input! Hmmm, I don't think New Zealand is nearly enough for an auto victory, so I wonder if it makes sense to take troops out of there and put them into Australia to keep him out of the South East of that country? And, unless he takes Australia taking New Zealand is merely a pleasant POW camp for his troops there. Lots of mutton.

He certainly is very aggressive and I expect him to push into India. I'm just not sure how much progress he can make if he's putting so much effort into the So. Pac.

I'll take a look at Tahiti. What would it be used for? a spring board for counter invasions?

[witpqs]

ORIGINAL: John B.

Mr. Kane,

Thanks for the input! Hmmm, I don't think New Zealand is nearly enough for an auto victory, so I wonder if it makes sense to take troops out of there and put them into Australia to keep him out of the South East of that country? And, unless he takes Australia taking New Zealand is merely a pleasant POW camp for his troops there. Lots of mutton.

He certainly is very aggressive and I expect him to push into India. I'm just not sure how much progress he can make if he's putting so much effort into the So. Pac.

I'll take a look at Tahiti. What would it be used for? a spring board for counter invasions?

Yes. Plus you need a defensive line. Look at more than one in case he unexpectedly breaches the first line. As the Allies you will man, supply, and build a lot of bases that you will not really use. Part of the deal. You might not use Tahiti, but if you do you will need it. You need bases for ships to refuel, rearm, make emergency repairs; air bases for search and to tend to your SLOC (sea lines of communications).

Remember he is buying time. You must deny him that time by constantly preparing for next month, 3 months out, 6 months out, 1 year out...

[John B.]

Witpqs, that's a very good point! I'm building up redundant positions in India and Australia but I should not ignore the So. Pac. He may get a wedge down to the map edge but he'll have to defend the entire wedge or I'll just go around it. As always it's a matter of finding troops and other resources to man all of the positions. But, that's part of the fun of this part of the game for the allies, the constant juggling of resources.

It's funny how spoiled you can get as the allies. In my game against Scott we're in August 44 and if my airbase isn't level 9 it's annoying. Not quite the same situation here.

[panzer cat]

Hold Middle Earth! New Zealand must not fall!

[bradfordkay]

ORIGINAL: panzer cat

Hold Middle Earth! New Zealand must not fall!

The IJA will turn all those hobbit holes into nasty little bunkers. It would be a shame to have to use flamethrowers and satchel charges to destroy them!

[panzer cat]

That's how you treat Prairie dogs, not Hobbits.

[John B.]

So, the following tale will leave you with one of two conclusions:

1. John is clearly a master strategist who possesses deep insights into the human psyche that allows him to see 6, 7, 8 steps ahead of mere mortals and adjust his plans accordingly. Or,

2. John is a nauseatingly lucky. It sickens me and makes me hope that Dmitry whips his butt and good just to pay him back for getting what he did not deserve. Read on!

[John B.]

The situation. I have two large TK TFs and the Yorktown heading towards Sydney. They had been tooing and froing in the deep So. Pac. while Dmitry covered the invasion of Noumea and did and air raid on Suva with the whole KB. Dmitry had headed back to Rabual and I had not seen him for two days. He was gone, I really thought so. Meanwhile, the Yorktown is already in the brown zone for fuel as are each of the tankers.

Dawn comes and a CA [the Pensacola] on the west side of New Zealand reports being sighted by a Kate. "A Kate?" I say. "What's a Kate doing out here? Oh [very bad word that can be used to mean fornication]." Count the hexes, it's ten from the KB to the northern TK TF and 12 to the yorktown. I go a little faster, or Dmirty heads just a little more East and all these ships are toast. Instead, he port strikes Aukland and sinks several APs and Aks.

one more piece of luck. To the Northwest I get a sighting of several AOs. With the Yorktown out of fuel I can't really run away so I figured I'll give it a shot and head north.

[John B.]

And it works! Importantly the Pensacola did not sink the day before so Dmitry took the KB around to the west side of New Zealand and my carrier wound up two hexes away from the AO fleet train. Everything that could fly flew (even the fighters went in with their 100 lb bombs). According to the combat reports five different AOs were hit and on fire at least two of which had heavy damage and heavy fires. The losses board does not record any AOs down but no search has found them since and it's been 3-4 turns since then. The Yorktown headed east after this and was able to refuel and the KB has been spotted by submarines really heading north this time. If I did clobber the AOs it makes it much tougher for him to linger in the So. Pac over the coming weeks!

[John B.]

Now China is a worry. As you can see, he has two divisions totally cut off. But, I can't seem to make any progress against them. I shell them to make then use ammo and then do deliberate attacks but I take a bunch of causalities and he does not seem to take any damage at all even though the combat reports say he has low supply. My bombers don't fly (and have not for two weeks) so I can't wear him down that way. any ideas? He's starting to press in on Sian so I'm not sure how much longer I can keep this up.

[John B.]

as for the rest, it's the dreary allied 1942. Dmitry is really pressing me hard, we're not even in February and he's already in Java and Burma and Noumea having taken Morsby earlier. Not much I can do about it but Suva now has three regiments and coastal defense guns. Port Blair, kind of by accident, has an Indian division and other troops with lots of supplies, and I got three dutch regiments out and they're in austrialia where the New Zealanders will soon head. Any ideas on how to slow down the onslaught?

[BBfanboy]

Great news about your strike on the AOs - well played JB![:)]

[panzer cat]

Damn your lucky....

[bradfordkay]

There is a reason that Napoleon wanted lucky generals. Good show!

[John B.]

It's not Feb. 2nd and it's quiet out there. Almost too quiet. No word from the KB since Dmitry went back north. My subs are seeing planes near Noumea but I'm pretty sure those are land based ASW. I did have a report of CVs in Singapore but I'm not sure that's correct. And, if it is, I've moved ships out of Colombo and the Indian ocean so the KB won't be able to do too much naval damage. Suva is continuing to build up. I now have three regiments there and about 40,000 supply plus lots of aritllery. This was not really planned but because of the KB reinforcement convoys got rerouted there. I also have a CD unit in Suva because nothing says love to an invasion force than 155mm guns. I realize he'll likely land and Ndeni but I have a CD unit on the way there too. As always in early 1942, it depends on what Dmitry does.

In China he has almost levered me out of Sian. One of my hexes collapsed to a shock attack and so now we're engaged in a chess match that will see me fall back. But since it's making supply for me I'll try to hold on as long as possible. And, he managed to liberate the two divisions that were trapped near Yenan. [:(] I just could not get any odds on it so my force is now exfiltrating through Yenan and heading across the wasteland. I don't think he'll be able to kill them but it was such a great opportunity.

In today's nauseating luck report (or the NLR), the day that Soerabaja fell the Dutch CL Soerabaja activated in that city. Since naval moves go first, it was set to run at full speed to Australia. And, on the way, it ran into a Japanese troop convoy sinking 2-3 AKs and a PC that were full of troops. Report indicated about 100 squads drowned.

[John B.]

Situation is developing at Suva. The whole KB plus APs and AKs are heading towards Fiji. If I'm lucky Dmitry will try to land at Suva directly and my 24 155 shore guns will say hello. But, he'll most likely land at Ndeni and march overland. I strongly suspect he has at lease one division as he took Noumea with a division and his APs spent a few turns there (loading up is my supposition). In Suva I have a NZ Regiment, the 1st Marine Regiment, and an Army regiment with lots of artillery batallions and some AA. They are dug in with a 3 level fort only half way to level four. Stay tuned!

[BBfanboy]

I take it you mean Nadi; Ndeni is an island up near Guadalcanal.

So far his transports are on a line to approach Suva, not Nadi.

Run those subs to the west at high speed to get to Fiji! This early in the game his ASW will suck!

[John B.]

Subs are headed there ASAP (and there is fuel in Suva for them to replenish). THey hit a CL last turn and reported heavy damage but no sinking sound and no fire. this turn they shot at a TB and missed. he has the KB on strong ASW as all my subs around him are at detection level 10/10.

3 P-39 squadrons are on 70% CAP. the zeros will make short work of them, but, If I have enough I might get through to the Vals and Kates. He is now one more turn closer and still on the same track.

Yeah, I meant Nadi. I wish he would spend this much effort to land at Ndeni.

[BBfanboy]

Undoubtedly KB Kates are doing ASW on approach, but he will have to put most of them on strike missions soon and the D/L on your subs will drop off, giving them a chance for a shot. Good luck!

I think you will get your wish re: Ndeni in a year or so.

[Encircled]

He might bombard first, so if you can putting your fighters in Nadi with a CAP range 1 to cover Suva might be better.

Course, he might bombard Nadi as well! [:)]