In my other AAR Nomonhan Redux, I elected to take the path of a conflict that was possible but which did not happen....that of Japan fighting the Soviet Union. That game and AAR continue, but it is time for me to also start a second AAR outlining my coming conflict with Traskott. As you may have gathered if you have read my other AAR, I like to explore various options and alternate possibilities while still enjoying playing the game in a historical context.
I was fascinated by the Historical Game Project rules being used by Fletcher and Cantona2. Fletcher put me in contact with Traskott, who also liked this set of rules. We quickly agreed to a set of rules and game settings. They are as follows, and are pretty much the same as in Fletcher and Cantona2's game:
AE Historical Game Project
1. ¡V Game Settings
Scenario 1 Grand Campaign
FOW: ON
Advanced weather: ON
Allied damage control: ON
PDU: ON
Historical first turn: Yes
December 7th surprise: ON
Reliable USN torpedoes: OFF (i.e, not reliable)
Realistic R&D: ON
No unit withdrawals: OFF (i.e., units must withdraw)
Reinforcement Variability: highly variable
Turn cycle: 1 day
2. ¡V General home rules as follows:
#1 - only allowed landings/invasions at dots/bases
#2 - Full PP for transfer of units from restricted HQs
#3 - No air night attacks with <50 moonlight before 1943
#4 - Night bombing can only be made at or above 3,000 feet.
Plus the following specific rules as detailed below.
3.- HOME RULES
The normal House rules to prevent anti-historical situations or gameys:
- KB will make a single attack on Pearl Harbor, and will return to Japan, if the first assault on Wake results in failure, you may transfer the returning units deemed necessary to complete a second operation.
- Americans cannot react to the landings at Tarawa, Wake and Miri (those initially planned by the Japanese) to avoid gameys (it's absurd to think that the Americans had been waiting for the Japanese in destinations unexpected). Once the first landings take place Americans are relieved from this rule (if not landings occur, by 14th of that month).
- Japanese submarines can only be equipped with the seaplane E14Y1 Glenn.
- No parachute unit portion deployments (one unit-„³ one target)
- No submarine invasions (with one exception, Marine Rangers from SST submarines). USS Argonaut, USS Seawolf, USS Nautilus, and USS Dolphin.
- All PT torpedo boats in a hexagon base must be in the same TF.
-Four-engine LBs cannot operate below 10,000 feet in naval attack missions.
-The selection of leaders for Naval Task Forces should be adjusted to its size (Admirals for forces of several battleships or even battle cruisers, vice admirals for very important operational forces with BB or CVs, no ASW groups with a leader other than Captain, CPT-LtCdr-Cdr)
-The Malacca Strait cannot be crossed by surface ships of the Imperial Navy until Singapore has fallen to the Japanese player.
- Tokyo cannot be bombarded with an atomic bomb.
3.1 Chinese Theater Home Rules
- It is not allowed to either side the bombardment of the industry in Chinese bases. Industry in China was mainly artisanal and any bombardment of the same does not faithfully reproduce the damage on it. The attacks against the "manpower" are allowed (if the damage causes damage to the Chinese industry is simply a reflection of the fact that the damage on the population and resources is serious enough to affect it).
- The airbases in China cannot operate with four-engine bombers. There will be a limit up to a maximum of 4 squadrons of four-engine non-Chinese (U.S.) LBs and may be operated only from aerodromes of level 6 or higher. The air support to the operational bases of these squads must be by American units.
- Chinese forces cannot go outside its borders except those assigned to the NCAC.
- No Chinese troops may enter Burma until the fall of Rangoon.
- The maximum number of Chinese forces under NCAC in November 1942 must be 9 divisions. (A Chinese Corps = 3 infantry divisions)
-The AVG can not be transferred out of China or Burma. In other words no transfer to Singapore or the DEI for use there.
3.2 House Rules regarding Kwantung Army
1. - Units should pay political points to get out of Kwantung.
2 .- Artillery units may leave up to a maximum of 1 artillery regiment or battalion regiments for every 3 regiments or equivalent units who have already paid the political price to exit Kwantung.
3. - No Kwantung HQs may leave until 1944 or until the invasion of the Mariana Islands (Operation A-Go), the occupation of Rangoon or the occupation of a base in DEI with an airfield with level 4 or higher occurs.
4.-Until June 1942 no air unit can be extracted from Kwangtung, and thereafter it can be done but up to a monthly Daitai but always keeping 4 Fighter Daitais and 8 bombers Daitais in Manchuria. This does not prevent any air operation from Manchuria to China.
5 .- If the Japanese player decides that he wants to attack the Soviet Union he will previously invade Soviet territory in any hexagon without provoking any attack, causing the activation of Soviet forces. The war may be caused but will not count on with the surprise factor.
6. - Once Soviets are activated, no Japanese Kwangtung Army unit may get an HQ reassignment, except isolated units that can be evacuated by sea unless the Soviets have been decisively defeated.
3.3 Home Rules regarding the D.E.I
1. - Dutch Air units cannot be disbanded nor can they be withdrawn.
2. - Dutch ships may operate in Indic Ocean waters or between Australia and New Guinea, but not in the Pacific.
3. - Dutch submarines can operate within the waters that lie between the South China Sea and northern Australia (the area of Sumatra, Java, Borneo, Celebes and Timor).
4. - The garrison requirements must be observed (you cannot ignore the garrison requirements for acts of sabotage before the Japanese occupation).
5.- During 1942-1943 the Allies may not conduct bombing operations against resources / oil / refineries in the DEI
6 .- The IJA Japanese units must have a minimum of 25 planning points to land in any of the enemy DEI bases.
3.4 Home Rules regarding the Philippines
1.-All American troops should have replacements OFF.
2.-Philippine based air units may not receive replacement aircraft other than by disbanding other Philippine based air units into those units.
3.-Philippine based air units may not be disbanded or withdrawn in a manner that would result in the transfer of aircraft or the pilots back into the aircraft or pilot pools. If the unit is withdrawn, the allied player must answer ¡§no¡¨ to the reform unit in x days question.
4.-Manila is an open city. During the initial Japanese conquest, MacArthur declared Manila to be an open city. As such, the allies may not build additional fortifications there and must retreat from the hex rather than fighting battles for it when the Japanese reach the city. The Japanese player may not use this to his advantage by trying gamey tactics (like paradrop, etc) to take the city early. He can only take the city as part of a general advance from the north, south, or east. After Japan has conquered all of Luzon, all bets are off and Manila is no longer an open city.
5.-The U.S. only may run sub transport missions into Bataan only carrying supplies and evacuating units only after allied forces have retreated into Bataan or to resupply/evacuate other isolated or cut off units. There is no restriction on using surface or air transport at any time to move supplies or troops in our out.
3.5 Home Rules regarding Australia (including New Zealand)
- The attack on Australia should wait until Timor, Ambon, Kendari, Mandanao, Batavia Soerabaja and are under Japanese control since the Japanese supply lines could have been attacked from these bases.
- The Japanese player can start landing in Australia once he has a reserve of 3000 political points. Once started, political points should be kept until the capture of all ports in northern Australia (Darwin, Wyndham-Broome-Port Hedland-Broome) (preemptive invasion option) or once Perth, or Sydney or Melbourne or Brisbane have fallen into Japanese hands (choice of long-range strategic operation). Once these goals achieved, the Japanese player will be relieved to spend those reserve political points in what he considers best.
- Additionally, IJA units to be landed on Australian territory must have a minimum of 80 preparation points (not needed for IJN ground units).
-In case of a Japanese invasion of Australia, Allies will not be able to spend political points in any other option other than sending forces to Australia by any means or medium, whether land or air forces (with the exception of points to reassign leaders).
3.6 Home Rules regarding India
1 .- During 1942, no Restricted allied unit in India may change its command area.
2 .- If Japanese forces cross the border with India, all political points spent by units of the Commonwealth can only be made to send reinforcements units to India.
3.- If the Japanese player wants to take the decision to invade Indian borders before 1944 he must also have a stock of political points (just as in the case of Australia). This reserve will be of 4,000 political points and will be relieved from the obligation to maintain it at the time they fall into his hands either Calcutta or Bombay or Colombo and Trincomalee. Also, all units of the IJA that are to cross the border with India or land in Ceylon must have at least 80 preparation points.
3.7 Home Rules regarding Thailand
1. - Thai ground forces may carry out tasks stationed at bases in Burma no more than 3 hexes from the Thai border.
2. - The territory of Thailand shall not be violated in any way by the U.S. ground forces. U.S. air and naval forces are free to operate over Thailand without restriction. British are exempt from this rule.
3.8 Restrictions on the Royal Navy
1. - Until September 1942 no high-value (HV) units (consider CV, CVL, BB, BC) will operate in the Pacific (except for repairs, transit to ports in US and return from them).
2. - From January 1943 a single high-value naval unit could operate in the Pacific (as happened with HMS Victorious in the Solomon campaign, which operated alongside the USS Saratoga)
3. - From 1945 onwards the Royal Navy can operate freely in the Pacific (creation of the Pacific Fleet under U.S. command).
3.9 Restrictions on the US
1. - In case of a invasion in Hawaii, all reassignments of restricted troops will be to operate in Hawaii.
2. - The high-value vessels of the Pacific Fleet (BB, CV) will operate only between the West Coast and Hawaii until Hawaii islands are fully recovered.
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Probably the most controversial point would be whether or not to use PDU=ON in the game.
We chose to do so. Having PDU on will allow the player to make adjustments to the deployment of his various airframe types to a degree not possible with PDU=OFF. Because events and strategies may alter the loss rate or needed replacement rate during the game, having this ability is critical. The main knock against PDU is that it lets Japan build only the best aircraft types and by careful manipulation considerably alter the historical composition of her forces. This is ok to a degree, but taken to an extreme it can create highly unhistoric situations that greatly benefit Japan and not the allies since allied production can not be altered.
I intend to self police on this to avoid an air force build only on super fighters. I am not saying that I won't focus research on the Frank mid-game, or that I won't build more Tojos than happened in reality, but you can also expect to see the Tony and Oscar in service right alongside these. In fact, many people are shocked that I initially continue production of the Nate and Ida in the games that I play, but these were important types to Japan, especially the Nate.
You will also find that I am overall a very conservative player. That doesn't mean that I will not do operations that never materialized in real life. It does mean that I will probably pull my punches a bit in China (I do not initially plan to go for the jugular and take out Chinese oil production in the early phase of the game when the Chinese are weak) and I do not see the value of over expansion for the sake of victory points. In fact, I do not care about victory points as I am playing for the long game. More important to me is establishing a good defensive perimeter that protects my empire without exposing significant forces to the risk of getting cut off and lost later in the game. Does that mean that I won't go after Australia? Maybe, or maybe not. It depends on how the game goes. The same can be said for India, Hawaii, Alaska, Western Canada, and the Soviet Union. None of these objectives are in my initial plans but who can say how the game develops. If I deem it necessary to start a fight in one of these locations to keep the main fight out of my perimeter for a significant period then I may well conduct operations there. I just will not do it for the sake of victory points or autovictory alone.
I also care (somewhat) about my aircrew and ships. They are valuable national assets that can not be easily replaced. I do not like to throw them away or run them into the ground until they are lost. This means that I may not conduct operations at anywhere near the tempo seen by some of the more aggressive players. You might also see my carriers setting in port swinging around the anchor chain more than in some other players' games. I can often be more effective in achieving my objectives by --not using-- my carriers constantly. Not only do I reduce aircrew losses, but if my opponent does not know where my ships are, he must worry that they could pop up anywhere. Then, when I do use them, I can often achieve that important factor of surprise.
Hopefully you will find my AAR both interesting and entertaining. I prefer to highlight learning points, action, or other thoughts when doing my AAR. I do not prefer to simply post long lists of combat reports every turn. Accordingly, you can expect to see only highlights where I want to illustrate the action that is occurring and not long posts of every bit of action that occurred everywhere every turn. I also like to discuss logistics and production. I will make some mistakes and also will do some things differently than others. I may not explit every potential advantage to the fullest and may miss some opportunities. However, in all of this lies the true value of the AAR. Readers will comment on the ideas and it will stimulate the thoughts and learning curve of both the readers and myself. Hopefully everyone will enjoy reading about the coming conflict from my perspective and also from that of my opponent as I understand that Traskott also plans to do an allied AAR.
I would also like to thank the following people:
JonReb: he offered to play after my original opponent quit on turn 2 (the PH attack sunk 8 BBs and I also got the PoW and Repulse). He was going to take over that game but with the understanding that there would be a significant interruption when he leaves in four months for military training. We ultimately agreed not to play now, but I will play him after he completes his training and gets established at his new post. I look forward to this opportunity. The time freed up by not having a third game will allow me the time to write this AAR while continuing my other game and AAR.
Fletcher: For putting me in contact with Traskott and for writing a good set of historical game project rules that I liked.
Traskott: For also wanting to play a game using the rules developed by Fletcher and Cantona2.
Carthes: For his excellent set of plane tops. I was lucky enough to have them in the prototype stage to use in my Nomonhan Redux AAR and game. I could not pass the files along, but he has now completed the set and made them available to everyone on the forum. I will be using them in this game
With that, lets begin the ride....enjoy the conflict that is about to envelope the Pacific.
Seydlitz
