Allied Axis of Advance (No AI)

[The Gnome]

I'm playing a game vs the AI and have reached mid-43. I have positioned forces to maintain the supply lines to Oz, and am putting a pounding on the IJA in Burma with my air forces in India. I have built up the Noumea area into a stronghold.

Through the beginning of '43 to this point, I have cleared Canton, Baker, Tarawa, and Makin to shorten my supply routes to the south pacific and Oz.

Other than that, the vast majority of my strength is sitting in PH or waiting on the docks at San Fran to be sent there. I was going to go the historical route and push up through Lae/New Guinea, and the Solomons, but with Oz being secured I have scrapped that idea.

Instead I see myself using the balance of '43 to pacify the Marshall's and using the first half of '44 to hit the Marianas, with my end goal of hitting Formosa. This will effectively sever the Japanese home Islands from the vast majority of their resources, and cut off a huge amount of troops who are occupying territory to the south. I can then reduce any pockets that become a nuisance at my liesure.

I fail to see the need to expend resources taking much else on the ground. Outside of victory points am I missing anything here? For some reason it just feels wrong, but I can't put my finger on it.

[wdolson]

In the real war, the US concentrated in the Solomons because they didn't have the carriers for a Central Pacific strategy combined with McArthur making the maximum of his influence. 

If the carriers had survived 42 more or less intact and McArthur hadn't had the influence he had, the US would have probably gone through the Marshalls and then Marianas.  With a strong carrier force, this strategy is the least effort for the results.  You can cut off a big chunk of the Japanese empire taking a relative few number of islands.

The US was also planning on taking Formosa to serve as a gateway for a direct sea route to China, but the Japanese China offensive in 1944 made that strategy moot.

If you have the ability to pull it off, it's, I think, the original War Plan Orange strategy.

Bill

[The Gnome]

Thanks for the input Bill. Yeah I was looking at some intel and seeing Rabual so thinly protected that I had half a thought to go after it, but then just thought to myself "why?"

I have the same tendency in chess when I try to eliminate pieces rather than go for checkmate.

Joe

[CaptBeefheart]

I would give it a shot if you have carrier superiority. You don't have to worry about MacArthur and his need to fulfill his promise to return to the PI.

[Sredni]

heh, I'm kinda the opposite. I want to retake each and every island and base between OZ and japan before I drop my nukes, only I'm not sure if I'll have the time to do so [:(]

In my america there is no pressure to end the war early! rawr!

[janh]

ORIGINAL: The Gnome
Instead I see myself using the balance of '43 to pacify the Marshall's and using the first half of '44 to hit the Marianas, with my end goal of hitting Formosa. This will effectively sever the Japanese home Islands from the vast majority of their resources, and cut off a huge amount of troops who are occupying territory to the south. I can then reduce any pockets that become a nuisance at my liesure.

Hmmh, well, I doubt this will be an "interesting game" against AI. But maybe Andy can answer: What will AI do in that case? Pull forces from DEI north to interfere, or will the IJA just die from boredom in Java, Singapore or in the rest of the DEI? I assume a human player for contract his lines and send all possible forces from the DEI into the Philippines and Formosa...

[vinnie71]

Actually a lot would depend on what sort of carrier and air forces the Japanese AI still has at its disposal. I have seen frequent raids by carries, coming through, almost to the Gilberts and sometimes beyond.
 
BTW is there an AI script that reinforces the area in case of dire problems?

[Sardaukar]

It's interesting that campaigns of South-West Pacific and South Pacific would not have been fought if either side had CV superiority. Only the peculiar circumstances after Coral Sea and Midway with addition to US CV losses to subs allowed those campaigns unfold like they did.

[minnowguy]

Interesting indeed ...

I too am at mid-1943 (April) in my campaign versus the AI (scenario 8) and am considering what to do next.  I've got everything in the Solomons and the Bismarcks (including Rabaul) and everything in New Guinea up to Hollandia.  All my LCU assets are forward-deployed to Rabaul/Townsville and I'm planning to move many of them up to Hollandia when I'm done building it up to malaria-free levels.

Current plan:
[ol][*]Take Sorong as base to suppress Japanese LR air in the Moluccas.[*]Take Peleliu and Babeldaob to secure my right flank (both have significant LR bombers present)
[*]Take Mindanao[*]Take Luzon[*]Take Formosa[*]Start strategic bombing and prepare for Downfall, based from Formosa
[/ol]Strategic goal is to use Formosa bases for B-29s and to interdict resources flowing from the DEI to Japan proper.  I don't see any reason to mess about with the Central Pacific at all.  My main motivation here is lack of assault shipping.  Plan is to take a decent port on a large island and use my abundant xAPs and xAKs to move up combat divisions while the APAs and AKAs are hitting the next island.

[The Gnome]

I suppose my main concern is I am not giving enough threat to pin down the Japanese into defending non-threatened areas. If I were playing a human this would allow him to concentrate his defense as much as I'm concentrating my offense.

In that case I would have to at least threaten a push into the DEI and South/SW Pacific.

I agree with those who point out that this is a function of me having a large CV force, in fact I have not lost any. The IJN on the other hand has lost at least Akagi, Kaga, Shokaku, Hiryu, and Soryu (plus some CVL and CVE). The naval war has been very one sided.

The AI has been crazy aggressive, which has allowed me to concentrate force against smaller units gaining tactical numerical superiority in spots during '42 as I refused to operate with less than 4 CV's in an area while the AI was often comfortable operating with one.

The bombardment groups the AI sent towards Pearl were good for keeping me on my toes, but I had some much Naval and Air concentrated there they have been suicide runs.

This on the whole has enabled me to use risk free attrition. I'm hoping to have all the hard fighting wrapped up by the end of '44.

[moonraker65]

You should try playing Juan's Enhanced CV WNT scen 46. Wow that's a tough one. Just got to Oct '42 and have only just recaptured Noumea, Milne Bay and Buna. Struggling to recapture Luganville at the moment and getting battered in India by the AI's LR bombers. Add to that the AI's early introduction of better Aircraft and it's going to be a real struggle !!

[janh]

ORIGINAL: The Gnome
I agree with those who point out that this is a function of me having a large CV force, in fact I have not lost any. The IJN on the other hand has lost at least Akagi, Kaga, Shokaku, Hiryu, and Soryu (plus some CVL and CVE). The naval war has been very one sided.

The AI has been crazy aggressive, which has allowed me to concentrate force against smaller units gaining tactical numerical superiority in spots during '42 as I refused to operate with less than 4 CV's in an area while the AI was often comfortable operating with one.

The bombardment groups the AI sent towards Pearl were good for keeping me on my toes, but I had some much Naval and Air concentrated there they have been suicide runs.

They should really add some more functions to their scripting language that would allow AI to "cheat" a bit better for a more interesting game, particularly:
Have scripts such as the bombardment and raid scripts check the true available enemy (player) assets in an area before committing. Some before committing CVs, and also maybe have AI check whether player CV are split geographically and only in that case allow own CV to separate...