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First of all, I know that capturing Singapore quickly isn't really that crucial. It only has 10 resource points and no oil, so the only purpose of taking it quickly would be to remove it as a threat to TF's headed to Palembang and Batavia. Of more importance is capturing the resource centers at various bases along the way there.

Nonetheless, was wondering what folks do to capture Malaya. Ususally, I move a few divisions (Imperial Guards, 5th, 18th and 56th) and brigades (21st and 23rd Mixed) to Songhlia (sp?) and then just march down the western edge of the peninsula all the way to Singapore (and Mersing). Along the way, I split off a brigade or division fragment to march east and take Kuantan and Khota Bharu.

Last night however, I was considering a different approach. I was thinking that if I could manage to land a considerable force at Mersing right away (21st and 23rd Mixed Brigades), I could then march west to Johore Bharu and hopefully cut off all of those UK troops on the northern end of the peninsula. The only thing that could be a problem would be Swordfish, Vildebeasts, Blenheims and Hudsons stationed at Singapore. To deal with this, I figured I could transfer my Oscars to Songhlia and use them to provide LRCAP for the invasion force on its way to Mersing. The Prince of Wales and the Repulse are usually incapacitated by port strikes by Nells from Saigon and the Revenge is off too far to the west to be a threat. So, it seems like this could work.

Any ideas? What do other players do to take Singapore?

The Mersing gamet is a common one. As an allied player I mine the heck out of it and garrison Mersing strongly. Still it is probably the fastest way to take Sing, it is just that casualties will be higher.

IMO Sing is important because of the size of its port and AF and more importantly the geographic location. You must take it and for however long the allies hold on their you have to commit important units to the operation. Left alone too long the Malayan army will repair its disabled units, its air force will gain experience and worse Sing will build forts.

In my limited experience as Japan it is best not to dilly dally in Burma or DEI too much until Malaya is crushed. With the appropriate use of overwhelming, soul crushing force you can capture Sing by early Jan and move quickly on to Burma and DEI.

I myself prefer to only send a token landing of one Div to Malaya (usually Kuantan) and march the rest of the units over land via the rail line. They will steam role Alor Star and work their way right down the peninsula.

Also keep in mind that the British BB force can be maintained at Palenbang or Batvia in perfect safety just waiting for this move. As soon as your transports are seen the BB's move 2 hexes closer and still within CAP protection of Palenbang. Then as your transports hit you get a big night surface action which you may not want.

I tend to agree with Niceguy that the simplist way is just to come down the rail line and crush the allies in a methodical way.

I do keep the Mersing option open if I see that his BDE there has pulled out. Also get some para's into the area and fly recon on all those bases along the rail line. Some allied players will send everything they have to Aloa Star and Mersing leaving nothing on the rail line. If so you can drop on his little base force units, take the base, and ruin his whole strategy.

Sometimes I'll take a group of empty transports and just move one or two hexes off Mersing and just sit there for a couple turns. This can really mess with an allied players mind.[8D]

ORIGINAL: Icedawg

First of all, I know that capturing Singapore quickly isn't really that crucial. It only has 10 resource points and no oil, so the only purpose of taking it quickly would be to remove it as a threat to TF's headed to Palembang and Batavia. Of more importance is capturing the resource centers at various bases along the way there.

Nonetheless, was wondering what folks do to capture Malaya. Ususally, I move a few divisions (Imperial Guards, 5th, 18th and 56th) and brigades (21st and 23rd Mixed) to Songhlia (sp?) and then just march down the western edge of the peninsula all the way to Singapore (and Mersing). Along the way, I split off a brigade or division fragment to march east and take Kuantan and Khota Bharu.

Last night however, I was considering a different approach. I was thinking that if I could manage to land a considerable force at Mersing right away (21st and 23rd Mixed Brigades), I could then march west to Johore Bharu and hopefully cut off all of those UK troops on the northern end of the peninsula. The only thing that could be a problem would be Swordfish, Vildebeasts, Blenheims and Hudsons stationed at Singapore. To deal with this, I figured I could transfer my Oscars to Songhlia and use them to provide LRCAP for the invasion force on its way to Mersing. The Prince of Wales and the Repulse are usually incapacitated by port strikes by Nells from Saigon and the Revenge is off too far to the west to be a threat. So, it seems like this could work.

Any ideas? What do other players do to take Singapore?

Some more "plusses" (to the Japanese) to taking Singapore. It opens up the route through the Malacca straits, which opens up sea communications with the Bay of Bengal, to include sea communications with Rangoon. I've often had Allied players use Rangoon as a "bombardment training run" for their surface ships. And has Rangoon is one of the most useful bases in Burma, protecting it on the seaward side seems worth doing. So having Singapore is a pre-requisite. Also Singapore is a big port near Java and that can be very useful in terms of the invasion later on. Also, Singapore in Allied hands is a risk, it is a reasonably big airbase and port and can be used to good advantage by the Allies if ignored. I will grant however, that it is probably not as important, in the game, as it was in real life. The fall of Singapore IRL, sent shock waves across all observers on both sides. It marked the end of an era. To simulate this effect ... maybe all Allied units should take a 10 point morale hit in the bad direction and Japanese units and 10 point morale anti-hit in the plus direction, but that doesn't happen in the game.


In my game with Moses, I'm using the "straight forward" approach, but did bring an extra division (the 56th) though the 21IB and 23IB did not go to Malaya. Moses, like-wise is defending in a straight forward manner, at least on the ground. So, on the ground, things look fairly historical, right around the end of January he has withdrawn over the straights, into Singapore. Not sure whether we will be able to reduce the place by the historical date, but it isn't absolutely impossible.

What he has done differently, is use Singapore as a "sniping" base ... re-occupy .. launch some strikes .. then pull out .. wait a bit .. then reoccupy. The air losses generated by this approach have been pretty high on both sides .. and it has probably delayed the ground game by a day or two ... almost as much as my bungling of the orders has done!!! [:D]

But the key difference in our game, is that we agreed on "historical start" even before we chose sides, so jumping on one of the bases near Singapore (or even jumping on Singapore itself) on turn one, was not really feasible in our game and it might be in others.

Everyone seems to be missing the obvious. Singapore has factories and even more important: ship repair yards. I commit 6 divisions, a brigade, and a regiment plus supporting engineers and artillery, but I dont bother trying to land at Mersing. Not worth the losses and you dont take it that much faster.

ORIGINAL: Yamato hugger

Everyone seems to be missing the obvious. Singapore has factories and even more important: ship repair yards. I commit 6 divisions, a brigade, and a regiment plus supporting engineers and artillery, but I dont bother trying to land at Mersing. Not worth the losses and you dont take it that much faster.

That was my first thought reading this thread. Singapore is the best port in the entire SRA. It was strategically very important to Japan and the Japanese had more operational warships there than the Home Islands when the war ended.

Bill

ORIGINAL: Yamato hugger

Everyone seems to be missing the obvious. Singapore has factories and even more important: ship repair yards. I commit 6 divisions, a brigade, and a regiment plus supporting engineers and artillery, but I dont bother trying to land at Mersing. Not worth the losses and you dont take it that much faster.

Build those ship yards large enough to repair your CV's. You'll get a lot more play out of you primary assets.

Only playing vs the AI at the minute but am trying to take Singapore ASAP so as to be able to move on to DEI.

Went with landings at Khota Baru and Kuantan - a division each, with extra brigades, 25th army and artillery/engineers coming ashore at Kuantan about 5 days in along with a major resupply efort. IG and tanks coming overland via Songkhia.

The major change I have made to help with the early fall of Malaya and the DEI is that I split KB and cancelled PH operation. Shokaku and Zuikaku along with the mini KB hit Singapore turn 1, sinking POW and Repulse. The Nells hit Johore and Singapore airfields. Both all the Japanese BB are here as well - Kuantan and Khota Baru were both hit with BB bombardment on the 8th. Could have used this approach for a Mersing landing instead of Kuantan.

The other 4 KB carriers hit Manila - reports of 15 subs hit to various degrees, plus Langley, both AS and a pile of small stuff badly battered. Reports since say 7 subs have so far sunk (I guess more might have but I don't know about it, plus Langley, the 2 AS, 3 DD and a lot of AK/AP. KB is now reunited at Saigon. In fact almost the whole Japanese navy bar a few cruisers and destroyers is here and is reorganising.

10 days into the war and the Britsh airforce in Malaya is pretty much gone, Kuantan and Khot Baru are mine and I will be moving one of my divisions into Malacca next turn, just as IG crosses the border. In the Philipines I have taken the 3 northern bases, Lingayen and Clark.

Not sure how this would work against a human opponent.

Divide and conquer. Be aware that you have sizeable paratroop units as Japan. More often than not the allied player doesn't garrison key bases in his rear in Malaya. Dropping 150+ AP on Johore Bharu can really ruin his day, especially when you time it right and drop them just as his forces north are going to retreat to that hex. If hey are engaged just north of Johore Bharu then you can easily force them to surrender. The less allied troops that make it to Singapore, the better.