We're playing IATB the Strike North option.
In this scenario, the Japanese decide to attack Russia instead of the Allies. The price for Victory is the access to the russian ressources, russian industry and the caucasian oil (which appears in a special "European Russia" base near Vladivostok).
As Japan can concentrate on both China and Russia with all its forces, they won't last too long. Especially the fact that Japan will finally have access to the extra ressources, oil and industry, this makes Japan significantly stronger. In addition, Japan can build several new BCs, CVs, CVEs (but has to pay for them: either expand the shipyards or stop a lot of other ships) and can even convert big freighters to MAC or small CVEs. This isn't all, yet. Japan also can use all types of planes by every unit, so if the player wants, he can have all fighter units equipped with Zeros. In addition, Japan gets several German designs which it actually could have produced in reality. Among them are the Me-109T, the He-100D-1 and the Ju-88. Japan can also use later war versions of the Me-109. This isn't really possible IRL any more as Japan didn't recieve the new German engines and data needed - but it's considered possible with a lot of good will... As IATB means "I am the boss", Japan may have asked Germany for further technology within the war and recieved it by subs. Anyway, with the Me-109G, the Me-109K and the Me-109Z, it has impressive planes to punch enemy 4e-bombers out of the air.
The Allies on the other hand recieve a lot of additional highend fighters. 40 additional Spitfires - and that from 2/42 on, 40 additional P-40s, the Bommerang production upgrades to Mustang IV, etc. They also have a lot of additional possibilitys to convert their airgroups. Most planes are usable by additional nations, the USN fighters may also be used by the USAAF. They also recieve extra CVs and the Langley reconverts to a CV(E).
As Japan isn't at war with the Allies, they use Russia and China to buy time for themselves. They may send additional airgroups and groundforces to pacific Islands like Tarawa or Guam and they may also reinforce the Pacific Islands.
Basing enough fighters and bombers there will endanger the Japanese industry in the home islands from the beginning!
The first turn saw strikes against Russian Airfields and Harbours as well as landings at Suchan and Petropavlovsk. Both were captured on turn 3.
The combined might of all available Japanese Tank units dash forward from Hailar to Borzya to cut the enemy's railroads from Krasnoyarsk to Vladivostok. They are assisted by several Infantry divisions and engineer batallions.
In the South, the other arm of the Attack marched into Voroshilov to threaten Vladivostok.
China is relatively quite so far.
The intentions:
Industrial:
Japan can expand it's industry massively. There are enough ressources on the map and the price of captureing Russia is alone already enough to feed most of the industry. I think the end of the achievable Heavy Industry points is between 18.000 and 20.000. This will allow to build all the ships and enough fighters to preotect the home islands long enough. Moreover, this shall allow to produce the necessary armement points to create all the additional ground units IATB has.
Strategic:
I want to centtrate always on just one thing. At first, I strike with all my might against Russia to destroy it within just a few weeks, I hope. The combined might of 12 tank regiments, 11 infantry divisions, and several engineer regiments should be more than sufficiant to conquer Borzya. From there, the foreces will divide. A few units will march against Mogocha to hopefully secure the right flank of the march to Krasnoyarsk. On the way, my tank units will hopefully destroy most of the enemy's ground units. If the north is secure, the units will turn back and march down the railway to Vladivostok, destroying everything in their way.
The southern front is expected to be inusfficant to conquer Vladivostok, despite its 10 infantry divisions and a most of the artillery. They are just there to block any assault into Manchuria from the south and to keep his forces away from the northern front.
Only when Russia is conquered, I'll concentrate on China. I don't expect this to happen before March or April 1942. This has to happen very fast then, as the Allied attack on Japan is expected to happen between July and August 1942. China must be conquered than to free the necessary units for Malaya, Burma and the Philippineans - which will be heavily defended then.
