Andy Mac v The Insane AI

[Andy Mac]

Two powerful Divisions and a Strong Armoured Bde really help when I get them in theatre

The Japanese have jumped the gun they have basically a pocket Div ashore I have enough strength to stop them behind forts. But without reinforcements I could easily wreck my 5 NZ infantry Bdes trying to defeat them so it’s a bit of a stalemate at New Plymouth until either the US forces en route from the East arrive.

Or the Highlanders coming from Cape Town or 2ndNZ Div from Aden but this will take time and I cannnot take the offensive to remove the infestation at this time

ORIGINAL: jdsrae

In the distance, faint sounds of bagpipes and the Haka...

[Andy Mac]

Na I want to fight !!

ORIGINAL: traskott

You always can hide yourself off-map... [:D][:D]

[Andy Mac]

It’s clear the Japanese have jumped the gun and attacked too early I can hold them off or stop them landing BUT certainly the Ceylon attack could be a feint no troops landed

I have established a fleet base at Christmas Island and am now focussing on Rarotonga as the next leg in my convoy and fleet base to enable the reinforceme t of SoPAC and SW PCareinforcement of

[Andy Mac]

I have organised my fleet into 5 main task Forces

Task Force 1 in NZ covering SOPAC 7 Cruisers and 12 Destoyers
Task Force 2 Perth covering the Cape Town Convoy Routes Light Forces only
Task Force 3 Colombo 1 carrier 1 light carrier 1 modern BB and 1 old BB supported by cruisers and destroyers
Task Force 4 Christmas Island 2 USN Fleet carriers plus escorting cruisers and destroyers plus 2 US BBS en route
Task Force 5 PH/SF Cruisers and Destroyers covering West Coast convoy routes

Apart from my painful losses in Cruisers and Destroyers I have 5USN BBs 2 USN CVs 2 RN BCs and 1 RN BB and a large number of Cruisere in dry dock with serious damage

I am having to allocate significant force to convoy close escort to stop the raiders

[HansBolter]

TF1 looks too large and unwieldy to me.

Personally, I would form at least two, if not three smaller TFs from that group.

3 TFs, 2 with 2 Cruisers and 4 destroyers and one with 3 cruisers and 4 destroyers would provide more flexibility and ensure you don't get the entire SoPac surface force decimated in one battle.

Large TFs also tend to have many ships that don't participate in any given fight. Smaller TFs better ensures everyone present participates.

[traskott]

Convoy escort in this scen should be done only with carriers or some kind of naval cover ( PBY ? ). All those old CAs with low AA will be sunk by the Lindas and then the massacre will began.

[Andy Mac]

There are 3 Task groups centred around a Heavy Cruiser flagship (my use of the word Task Force is a little loose but they ain’t big enough to be called. Fleet!!!!

[Andy Mac]

I don’t have enough carriers I have 2 in the shop !! 2 RN ones In the Indian Ocean and 2 US. Ones at Christmas island

[Andy Mac]

Eastern fleets carriers will cover 2nd NZ Div 7th AUS Div and 6th Aus convoy and then will bring in 51st Highland Div

When they arrive I can go on the offensive and kick any infestations off of Nz

[Andy Mac]

The challenge I face is in NZ I have 1 Regular Bde the 8th NZ Bde it’s actiually at 80% strength and all of its AV is intact as it was mostly support squads that wee lost on the fall of Fiji

The 4 Militia Bdes are all weak only now upgrading to regular squads and are all sitting with 50 to 60% disabled squads if I commit them to combat in an offensive capacity I may win against the 250AV mini Division currently ashore but I will wreck those Units as they are not ready for combat and will take brutal losses

On the other hand if I wait for the heavy reinforcements to arrive I am taking a major risk

There are 6 potential landing sites outside of Wellington and Aukland and I simply cannot cover them all even 1 or 2 Japanese divisions getting ashore and taking a base would force me to fort up in either Auckland or Wellington and try to cling on until reinforments arrive if they arrive because when the Japanese carriers are finished with Java and Sumatra they could isolate NZ or make it incredibly high risk to get my reinforcements ashore

[Andy Mac]

So my choices are use my green under strength militia to try and eliminate the current threat but damage my long term build up or wait and hope my reinforcements arrive 1st.....

[PaxMondo]

I'm all for carnage and mayhem … GO GREEN!!!

[:D][:D][:D]

[HansBolter]

I'm for letting them get a foothold and waiting for more seasoned reinforcements.

After all, if they succeed in landing they will send more base force types for you to kill.





Never mind, it's the AI. It will send the base forces for you to kill even if the initial invasion fails.

[Andy Mac]

Whether I wan5ted to or not its happened a stealth landing !!!

NZ under threat

[Andy Mac]

So I have landings in Ceylon and both islands of NZ and the one on the South Island has a foothold and all I have are 2 weak militia Brigades

The US 27th Div is passing Christmas Island o I may be able to hold Dunedin

[Andy Mac]

Burma corpus just got bounced out of. Mandalay and is running for the Assam border

Ceylon and Nz are invaded carrier fleets are heading in both directions and I don’t have much to stop them

[traskott]

Flee, flee!!! Feel the same fear you put in our hearts [;)]

[Andy Mac]

Prepare for battle

[Andy Mac]

This is the challenge the NZ Bdes both of them have recently upgraded small arms so they are now not militia Sections BUT the experience is very low despite high morale my both 3rd and 12th Bdes have to hold until relieved !!!

[Andy Mac]

And help IS on the way but its a race.....

I have detached the two fastest transports and 2 DD's into a fast TF capable of covering 400 miles a day that TF will try to arrive hopefully before the nick of time !!!