Performing Pearl Harbour

[juntoalmar]

Hi,

Sorry if this has been asked but, as I explain in other thread, the search function didn’t gave me any results.

Although I have played a bit, I never got to make a Pearl Harbour attack against a human player. Looking at the Sequence of play, I notice that Port Attack is before naval movement. Thus, you can't move your fleet and make a port attack afterwards in the same impulse.

If I’m not mistaken, the sequence should be:

Impulse n (axis):
- move your fleet to adjacent sea area to Pearl Harbour

Impulse n+1 (allied):
…

Impulse n+2 (axis):
- declare war
- port attack


- Wouldn’t be the American be warned when you move the fleet and have the chance to react by getting the capital ships away from PH on impulse n+1?
- Wouldn’t that kill the whole purpose of the attack on PH on a surprise impulse?
- How do you guys usually attack PH?


Thanks for your insights!

[Joseignacio]

You are right.

Problem for the USA player is that he needs to have a certain number of BB and CVs in Hawaii before DOW or he will have a serious penalty.

Then, if he sees that the JA fleet arrives in "n", he can try to save some units in "n+1" but being (usually) neutral this means:

1 No naval action type but combined
2 Each combined naval move can only consist of one ship.

Which means he may try to save all or most of his CVs before "n+2" and not more. But usually cannot save BBs,.

[Angeldust2]

You are on the right track, you have identified the dilemma of the Japanese player. To attack Pearl Harbor or rather not?
IMHO it is not so much about wether the American player avoids a Pearl Harbor attack watching the Kido Butai arriving at Oahu, it is much more about the risk of either an American preemptive strike after the Japanese fleet has arrived or an American counterstrike after the actual Pearl Harbor attack, which might be far from successful.

The American navy cannot flee so easily when the Japanese navy has arrived. As a (still) neutral Major Power, USA can choose only combined impulses with the additional handicap, that each single ship counts as a naval move, not a whole group.

OTOH the Japanese will only consider a Pearl Harbor attack and move in for a potential strike, if war is inevitable very soon anyway. This means, the USA will most likely be in a position to try to declare war first (albeit with only a certain probability) and achieve surprise on the Japanese!

This is the real risk!

[michaelbaldur]

you can use this action to try to force USA to do a low chance DOW. to force them to remove chits.

or you can do it many times. (if not playing with oil)... if you do it every turn they never know when it comes

[craigbear]

You could move the turn before your intended DoW and stay in the sea zone taking the chance you will win initiative.

[juntoalmar]

Well, with my luck with the dice my oponent would get an impulse, the turn will end, and he will start the next turn... [:D]

Oh, decisions, decisions...

[michaelbaldur]

but I think a port attack on PH is a waste. you might hit a few ships, but the Americans can quickly repair them.

and worse the americans can use them as a cheap way to keep up gearing.

even with the half ship AA you risk loosing planes. and you can afford it.

from the start of the game the Japan/American war is a matter of resources. they can simply out produce you.

so as Japan you need to stay strong as long as possible,