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

[Feinder]

May 27th, 1942

Off the coast of Japan

A bit of a free-for-all with USN subs vs. IJN. He did hit back at my subs with a CV parked in Tokyo Bay, and he's got DDs about. He didn't do ~that~ much to me with his attacks (his anti-sub at zero).

I actually did more damage to myself attacking him - twice with odds like 4:3 or 6:3. But... I figured I'd take the chance for a kill, and I did manage to sink him. To show for it, I've got 3 subs crippled but not dead. Obviously, I'd like for them to be able to limp back to port. A couple more subs to the east, on the edge of his Mar-Bmbr spotting range to maybe hunt the hounds if they chase my crippled subs east.

[Feinder]

May 27th, 1942

Admin Stuff

Strategic Map, Research, Production, Losses, and Economy
I decided to build a USMC-Div and fighter unit, because LBA is really kicking my butt at the moment.

Also adding a point into USA InfWeaps, because we're going to need them too.
Aerial Warfare went up, morale boost is good. And Chinese InfWeaps will be Lvl-2 next turn. Now I need points to upgrade them.

[ Hm. Looks like max is 4 attachments. I'll add the StratMap to previous post.]

[Elessar2]

I'll have to delve into the scripts to see why India's NM has taken such a hit. As already detailed, I minimized all of the NM hits for the US and delayed the occupational ones to activate on 1-1-43. Perhaps some scripts akin to the vanilla "Russia has survived the onslaught!" NM boosts would be in order as the scenario goes on...

For the continental battles I may have to tweak infantry defense ratings if he keeps rampaging through your lines like he has (and/or implement my supply hit idea upthread). Then again we are indeed in the Japanese Happy Time so he should be expected to run wild at the start.

A screenie of his MPP investments would be helpful (I want to see if he has any substantial fleet builds, as well as what his tech investments have been). While China has certainly been reeling, he may be launching too many offensives and thus be experiencing his own MPP bleedings.

EDIT: I may also re-examine the terrain in eastern and southern China. Unlike Euro 20K almost all of the terrain was done by someone else [samspackman], he may not have used the criteria I use to classify mountains from hills. [Note he said he based his map on the Grigsby WitP one] A quick scan of the area in question both in the editor and in Google Maps indeed reveals that if made from scratch I indeed would have used a LOT more mountain hexes. Nanjing for example is surrounded in the editor by fields (and some bocage of all things), while in Google I see nothing but rugged hills/small mountains...

If I want to avoid a lot of editing, I could adjust the defense bonus for hills from +1 to +2 perhaps. Mao can get an extra corps and division most likely, maybe a mountain unit or two...

Another issue is weather, since rain will no longer ground air units but this scenario was released long before that change in the code. That alone might explain his greater progress than seen in my AARs. Then again repairing all of that air won't be cheap for him. We shall see if he is able to keep going...

[Feinder]

June 14th, 1942

Burma

Indian units fall back to along the border of India/Burma. I'm looking at defending in the mountains where I can (big defense bonuses). Do you suppose that "in jungle behind a river" is better or worse than "in mountain, but not behind river"?

RAF and RIAF have moved back up. I expect they'll see combat in the coming turn. He'll definately bomb the Oil near Dacca when he gets the chance. I'll upgrade the AAA there and at Dacca next turn.

My Royal Navy sub put a fish into a CL off Rangoon. He then chased it around Andamann landing a few depth-charges in close proximity. Pulling the sub back for repairs.

[Feinder]

June 14th, 1942

China

Comm-Chi units retreat behind the river. Chinese Tank-Div moves up to strengthen the line. Partisans activated, maybe I can annoy him a little with them.

His LBA bombs Mao's headquarters. USAAC fighter squadron interdicts, and the becomes the target the attacks. USAAC squadron pulled back to Chungking for repairs.

More attacks in the far southwest of Chinese line, supported by LBA. I'm also calling out where he's massing his troops for attacks on the two cities in Center. I expect attacks in Center in the next turn.

More LBA chasing my HQ in the south.

[Feinder]

June 14th, 1942

Off Japan

Well, he complained about my subs. So that's progress. You'll recall from last turn, that we sank a Destroyer, but several of my subs were damaged. He did "aggressively prosecute" my subs with DDs, a CV in Tokyo Bay, and land based air assets - He sank SS Tambor. You can see there are still 3 subs trying to make a good to escape. He'll probably complain some more when he runs the turn, because we sank the CL Kiso.

I expect that he's probably double-chitted ASW at this point, if he can afford it.

Basically, I'm pulling my wounded subs back. If he trips anybody on the line to the east, great. Once the damaged subs are clear, and if he doesn't pursue out of LBA coverage, I'll bring the 3 remaining subs round to the South, the long way around.

[Feinder]

June 14th, 1942

Coral Sea

He added a bunch of craters to what remains of Milne Bay (eastern tip of New Guinea). I'm sure the local cocoa farmers were thrilled to have all that ordinance wrecking their fields.

B-17s spotted a CL heading west between Oz and NG. Scored a hit with a 500# GP bomb. I've moved up USN sub that was refitting at Darwin, to maybe catch it if it heads around New Guinea.

He's coming at Lunga in earnest now. Bombardments, CV strikes, and blockading the port. Looks like I evac'd my Corps just in time. The replacement garrison there probably won't be able to put up much of a fight. But it will make the landing opposed, and I won't have lost a Corps. Also moved up a USN sub, to see if I can get a shot into anything approaching Lunga. Frankly, he'll probably have spotted it. But it's worth a shot if I can take it.

[Feinder]

June 14th, 1942

The Rest of the Pacific...

He's still skirmishing with the partisans in Philippines. Tying down a Mech-Div, so that's fine. He also used strikes from a CV nearby, so located that. Probably on it's way to Burma.

Large troop convoy is just out of Australia. Royal Navy has picked up the escort for the final leg in. USN CVs and fleet are refitting Nav-Weaps around Fiji and Samoa. The CVs will be parked for another turn, as I got the message that we completed Fighters-2 this coming turn. I don't like parking my CVs for very long, but they obviously need the upgrades.

You can see the subs off Japan, and my approximation of his LBA search ranges.

When the convoy unloads, I'll have a large contingent of US Army and Marine forces in Oz. If he wants to invade Oz, he can probably get boots ashore (it's a LOT of coastline). But I'm confident that it would be a one-way trip for him.

My decision will be, where will be my first counter-attack? Port Moresby? Lunga (presumed will fall in next two turns)? Or Java?

I'd love to go for Java, as it would have a major economic hit to him. But it's also the furthest away and would require a greater initial and extended committment. Realistically, I'd go for Port Moresby, as I'll have access to my own LBA and support/repairs in Oz.

China is obviously getting beaten back. But there's nothing I can do about it for now, so I'll just hang on.

India is a weakness. Having the RN supporting the USN I think is the right move, but obviously it wont take him long to figure out that he has the Bay of Bengal all to himself. I'm building some Infantry reinforcements for both India and UK. An fully expect to get "something" in the way of militia when he approaches the border. If I need to send US Army troops to India, it would take a while, but it's an option.

[Feinder]

June 14th, 1942

Admin Stuff

Research, Production, Losses, and Economy

Research - USA NavWarfare completed. Initiated a dbl-chit into Amphib warefare, because heavier-hitting AVs, fewer casualties, and extra USMC units are all good. Level-2 fighters also completed end-of-this-turn; I got the message, but not reflected on this slide. China Inf morale completed, so that's good.

Production - Created a Mar-Bmbr for Oz, eyes are good. Also USAAC fighters because anything vs his air dominance is good. All available Fleet-CVs are in the queue.

Losses - We like killing his stuff. I guess if you go by the VPs for the CL I sank, vs. the VPs of the SS that he sank, I "won" the turn? I'll tell myself that.

Different slide of MPPs. I keep track turn-over-turn. The last row "Gap" means the difference turn-over-turn whether he's gaining ground (more MPPs for him) vs. my own Production capability. Reducing the gap between him and me is bad (red).

Ellissar, I'll get some screen-caps of Japans expenditures next turn.

[Elessar2]

Indian units fall back to along the border of India/Burma. I'm looking at defending in the mountains where I can (big defense bonuses). Do you suppose that "in jungle behind a river" is better or worse than "in mountain, but not behind river"?

The mountain. However while I have planned to increase the river bonuses (from 20/35 regular/major to 30/50] for my Euro scenario, I haven't here. Adding that to my list...

[Elessar2]

It may be a bit too late given how long it takes to build them, but the 1 Montana available right now is definitely an option (plus all the Iowas), esp. since you haven't invested in Naval Construction. In our games OCB & I would typically let fly all of our carrier air natch at the start of the battle, but after they got ground down the heavies would then slug it out, so BB's are more viable here than in the regular war. This is a consequence of the ratio between movement allowances and strike ranges, something I cannot really do anything about (given the intricate interplay between turn length/# of turns per year, and income and movement allowances).

If movement was closer to strike ranges, then surface ships would be more vulnerable to carrier strikes since they wouldn't be able to just charge in there from 20 hexes away and pound away. My only viable option there is to increase the ZoC penalty when encountering an enemy ship, but that can have other weirdness result, such as limiting sub manueverability, which as said upthread is already problematic. [right now it is 10, which was bumped up from 7 in an earlier build]

[Feinder]

I do want to build the Monty DN. My cursor hovered over the "buy" button for about 7 seconds. But i thot, "Gah. I really need to stop/blunt his LBA", so bought the fighters. But h-ll yeah, I'm totally building Montana.

[OldCrowBalthazor]

From an earlier post I believe you were trying to decide on whether to go for Java, New Guinea, or Solomons if lost for your push back.
I would choose New Guinea/Port Moresby first and then definitely the Solomons.
I think Java is too dangerous at this time of the war.
On the periphery you have the advantage.
My take on this situation at the moment.
Great coverage with this AAR.

[Elessar2]

Saw the income spreadsheet...

Did you get offered the Hump alternative to the Burma Road? That huge drop in Chinese income is worrisome. Note there are about a dozen alternative Hump scripts, hate to think that he found a loophole that would shut them all down for you.

[Feinder]

Here's is screen cap of the production screen from 06-14. It includes 30 supplies from The Hump, and 50 supplies organic production.

And I turned down the Atom Bomb because... Well... WTH, why not. :^)

[Feinder]

July 2nd, 1942

Burma

I'm pulling back to the mountains on the India/Burma border, and selected those with the greatest supply = will be greatest morale/readiness. Chinese Inf-Div also in mountains (and behind river) to secure China's flank.

RAF and RIAF are ready to do their duty.

Dacca and Mines have upgraded the AAA; he will attack them, I know it.

You can see that he kicked the crap out of my sub (docked southern tip of India). It'll need repairs.

Port of Rangoon is now open, so hopefully I can interdict it at some point.

[Feinder]

July 2nd, 1942

China

"China... China... China..."

He simply deleted my Tank-Div with LBA. 10 strength points just eradicated (plus more SPs around and elsewhere). I suppose it seems to be working for him.

Comm-Chi pulled back behind the river. Also abandoned the town of Taiyuan. Hated to do that, but he' would have just surrounded it and or nuked it with LBA. And losing a Tank-Div is bad enough; but losing a Comm-Chi Inf-Corps also, would be the gut punch after a left hook.

Moving further south... Remember the Chinese Inf-Corps in Ji'an last turn? Also erased. To be fair, it was combination of Arty, Ground, and Air. But *poof* another Chinese Inf-Corps(!) wiped-out.

He also continues to push that far southwest. He pummeled my Mtn-Div, and it fell back.

USAAC took upgrade to Level-2. Next turn they'll fill out to 10sp. But that means two more turns of unmolested LBA, and probably 2 more units deleted. I won't have points to rebuild the Chinese AF or Flying Tigers any time soon, so they're just camped out for now.

Hengchow is definitely next.

So... I'm actually thinking about...

The four southern Chinese settlements... Are worth 0-MPPs, and only 1-NM each. MPPs are the real objectives, esp given China's dire situation. So I'm thinking about pulling back to that rive, and abandoning those towns. If I can entice him to move up to occupy them, it means he has more partisans to worry about, it shortens/condenses my line a little, and doesn't really cost me anything economically. I'm going to sleep on it (so I've already submitted the turn back to him). But I can't really see a down-side to giving up that territory since it's not really doing me any good.

I had MPPs to replace what I could, but and can't buy replacement units at this point.

[Feinder]

[edited - he only sank 2 subs in the north, one was sunk off Lunga]

July 2nd, 1942

Off Japan / North Pacific

I definitely pissed him off. He's got 2x Mari-Bmbrs, 1x CVL, 1x CV, 1x DE, and I think x4-5 DDs. swarming the area. He sank 2x more subs. So we're definitely pulling back. I couldn't resist taking the shot though, so I did manage to sink one more of his DDs on the way out.

[Feinder]

July 2nd, 1942

Solomons

Well, he's definitely going for Lunga. He's got a pretty big fleet there. Pounded the base, and he sank my SS. Not a good turn to be a sub skipper. I counted

3x CV
2x CVL
2x BB
1x BC
1x CA
3x CL
5x DD
1x SS
1x Med-Bmbr

So, he's got a LOT, but ironically, ~if~ that's all he's got, I've got more (in the area)...

My troop convoys have landed at Oz. Actually, one USA Inf-Corps still 1-turn out. Screen cap of southern Oz. Also CVs took Fighter(2) upgrades this turn in Fijis.

I can't really do much about Lunga at the moment. If it can hold for a turn, I'd like to land a garrison on Reef Island. It would put me "something" in range of Lunga, and will certainly annoy him. If Lunga can hold for a turn.

Anyway, the first objective will be to take Port Moresby. I'll use Marines, as they have organic supply. You can see I'm moving air-power into Northern Oz, and will probably move the Marines up to Cooktown and launch from there. All of USN and RN in support. That's about 4-5 turns from now. I'm thinking he takes Lunga, then retires to Truk. But that's the start of the plan for now.

[Feinder]

July 2nd 1942

The rest of the map...