Matrix Games Forums

I'm up to January 5, 1942.

In Australia I've tried (three times) to send a supply convoy to Port Moresby only to have two sunk by Japanese subs lurking around and one by a Japanese surface force consisting of at least 2 battleships and a heavy cruiser. The battleship force was one hex off of Cairns but now seems to be heading towards New Guinea.

To make matters worse (or more urgent) the Japanese have just landed at Finschafen in Northeast New Guinea.

I HAD wanted to resupply Port Moresby and move some Australian troops there to prepare for the eventual assault but now I'm wondering if I will be able to even hold Port Moresby and what the implications would be if the Japanese take control of it.

The largest ship I have in the area are heavy cruisers and I'm not going purposely try to engage against battleships. My carriers are all in Pearl Harbor since I don't have the logistics network set up yet to support a fleet in the south Pacific (I've just started garrisoning Canton Island and another convoy should arrive shortly at Pago Pago).

So two questions:

1. Against the AI what are the implications if I can't resupply and reinforce Port Moresby and it's captured by the Japanese.

2. What can I do against the Japanese surface force and submarines? So far my attempts at ASW has been pretty pathetic.

Thanks

Lately, when playing against the Japanese AI I've gotten into the habit of prepping Port Moresby for a siege with as many supplies and troops as I can muster in the first few weeks of the war. I also sow as many minefields as I can there along with some ACMs to keep the mines viable. It does seem to be a favorite AI target early on. To keep Japanese surface ships at bay you can usually keep a few US carriers loitering in the area if you send some long-range oilers with escort along to provide fuel support. However, if any element of the Kido Butai shows up, I wouldn't hang around.

Fly some supplies and engineer squads to Milne Bay to build a port. Then build an airfield for fighters for defense, then move in dive bombers . . .

IMVHO, Pt Moresby isnt vital, it can provide the japanese player with a large airfield but there isnt a lot in Nth Qld that they can hit. Basically all supply have to come via sea through the Coral Sea so its a good place for subs to interdict them. Long term I believe Milne Bay and the nearby islands are a better target, from them you can head in a few directions, Lae, Rabaul or Nthn Solomons.

PT boats and dive bombers help a bit against IJN inevitable bombardment TFs.

AI does want PM badly, but it won't usually commit more than division and some. So prepare to reinforce to that in mind.

With limited forces on December 7 the allies have to pick something defensable, the PM area is perfect to start to bleed the IJN/IJA. The two USA base forces that start on ships go there...I load up tons of supplies without worrying about overage from Oz, and dump it into port Moresby, use extra supply that I don't think I'll need in DEI, grab the CD force at Tarakan (that the IJ player can bypass)and put the Engineer Regiment on the fastest ship I can from the US to Oz. Also minefields and ACMs need to start heading in that direction ASAP. My goal is the have a level 5 fort and 3 airfield before the enemy arrives. In late January and am at 3.4 forts, gonna be close.

Also need to prepare airfields in NE oz for LB air.

You also need to start building up Charters Towers and Townsville.

You can use them later to shuffle air units between them and PM plus latter for shipping supplies.

Sardaukar wrote: Tue Sep 23, 2025 7:52 am PT boats and dive bombers help a bit against IJN inevitable bombardment TFs.

AI does want PM badly, but it won't usually commit more than division and some. So prepare to reinforce to that in mind.

Unfortunately with all the Japanese battleship task forces steaming around there is no way I am going to be able to reinforce/resupply Port Moresby. It's January 25, 1942 and there are many Japanese task forces heading towards Port Moresby and I really don't have much naval presence in the area.

The Japanese did send a surface force of 1 CA, 1 CL and 3 DDs to circumnavigate Australia and I intercepted them off Albany, Western Australia and sank 1 CL and 1 DD at the cost of the HMAS Australia. I had another engagement off Hobart where I sank the CA and another DD. So far it looks like the last DD might get away.

All things being said, since the Japanese AI is running 3-4 months ahead of historical schedule (which the Allies have to stick with for reinforcements) I'm rethinking my SW Pacific strategy.

Dereck wrote: Sun Sep 28, 2025 8:07 pm Unfortunately with all the Japanese battleship task forces steaming around there is no way I am going to be able to reinforce/resupply Port Moresby. It's January 25, 1942 and there are many Japanese task forces heading towards Port Moresby and I really don't have much naval presence in the area.

I took a cue from Japanese war history and eventually sent up a submarine supply line as well as some air transport. Still, by the time I lifted the siege my guys in Port Moresby were probably reduced to eating termites and roots.

You can also fly air transport from Townsville.

And put all submarines you can spare (especially S-boats) to vicinity.

Bo Rearguard wrote: Sun Sep 28, 2025 8:28 pm

Dereck wrote: Sun Sep 28, 2025 8:07 pm Unfortunately with all the Japanese battleship task forces steaming around there is no way I am going to be able to reinforce/resupply Port Moresby. It's January 25, 1942 and there are many Japanese task forces heading towards Port Moresby and I really don't have much naval presence in the area.

I took a cue from Japanese war history and eventually sent up a submarine supply line as well as some air transport. Still, by the time I lifted the siege my guys in Port Moresby were probably reduced to eating termites and roots.

"Eats, shoots and leaves?"
"Maybe a KMT panda?"

Dereck wrote: Sun Sep 21, 2025 1:38 pm I'm up to January 5, 1942.

1. Against the AI what are the implications if I can't resupply and reinforce Port Moresby and it's captured by the Japanese.

2. What can I do against the Japanese surface force and submarines? So far my attempts at ASW has been pretty pathetic.

Thanks

If you want the game to last against the AI, I would cede PM to it. This is one of those targets that you can break the AI if you play too well and are able to hold PM.

PaxMondo wrote: Tue Sep 30, 2025 12:16 am
If you want the game to last against the AI, I would cede PM to it. This is one of those targets that you can break the AI if you play too well and are able to hold PM.

Don't think I really have much choice. Right now it's January 29, 1942 and there are 5 Japanese TF off Port Moresby - as far as I can tell 1 battleship force, 1 invasion(?) force and maybe 3 cargo forces.

I also know about at least 3 Japanese CV in the Kavieng area and another 3 off Sarawak.

The Japanese have also taken Tulagi and it looks like an invasion force is heading for Lunga. My SIGINT tells me they are also planning for the Shortlands.

Since the Japanese are able to advance their invasions 3-4 months ahead of historical timelines but I'm stuck with historical timelines for my reinforcements I really don't have a choice but to let the Japanese have Port Moresby.

I'm moving as many troops to the South Pacific as I can and working on building up those bases. I'm keeping an eye on Tulagi and also Guadalcanal. Once they start building an air base I will have to start planning an offensive operation (can anyone say "Operation Shoestring?") since that will let them threaten my lines of communication to Australia (even though I'm sending SW Pacific forces via Eastern USA -> Cape Town -> Perth).

Dereck wrote: Tue Sep 30, 2025 5:35 pm
Since the Japanese are able to advance their invasions 3-4 months ahead of historical timelines but I'm stuck with historical timelines for my reinforcements I really don't have a choice but to let the Japanese have Port Moresby.

This "advancement" only happens if the player allows it to. Not a criticism of your play or anything like it. But the AI is a script based AI, meaning, the PM script only fires when a bunch of others have completed ... so, if you use a Sir Robin defense initially, then the AI will get ahead of history. If you fight for every inch, you can get the AI to be behind history. IF you fight TOO good, then you can break the AI completely ... its a tight rope.

In general, playing as the allies against IJ AI, you want the AI to be able to run through its historical acquisition scripts without too much interference. Once those are done, then the AI is MUCH less susceptible to breaking. The defending scripts and counter-attack scripts are much more resilient.

When you plan as the IJ against the allied AI, you will find the AI to be very resilient ... it rarely breaks as the game starts with the AI on defense, and the offensive scripts don't start until much later. And when they do want to start, depending upon what you're done, the conditions may not exist for them to start. Keeping the momentum in IJ's favor keeps the AI working on defense ...

PM is "nice to have" but not crucial to defence of Australia.

You can concede it if you feel you cannot defend it. Basically, defence plans for PM should be started immediately from start of war. Especially supply and also moving all units from PNG, Rabaul etc. there.

PaxMondo wrote: Tue Sep 30, 2025 9:36 pm

Dereck wrote: Tue Sep 30, 2025 5:35 pm
Since the Japanese are able to advance their invasions 3-4 months ahead of historical timelines but I'm stuck with historical timelines for my reinforcements I really don't have a choice but to let the Japanese have Port Moresby.

This "advancement" only happens if the player allows it to. Not a criticism of your play or anything like it. But the AI is a script based AI, meaning, the PM script only fires when a bunch of others have completed ... so, if you use a Sir Robin defense initially, then the AI will get ahead of history. If you fight for every inch, you can get the AI to be behind history. IF you fight TOO good, then you can break the AI completely ... its a tight rope.

In general, playing as the allies against IJ AI, you want the AI to be able to run through its historical acquisition scripts without too much interference. Once those are done, then the AI is MUCH less susceptible to breaking. The defending scripts and counter-attack scripts are much more resilient.

When you plan as the IJ against the allied AI, you will find the AI to be very resilient ... it rarely breaks as the game starts with the AI on defense, and the offensive scripts don't start until much later. And when they do want to start, depending upon what you're done, the conditions may not exist for them to start. Keeping the momentum in IJ's favor keeps the AI working on defense ...

I don't want to sound unappreciative of your post but I don't buy it that it's my fault.

I keep notebooks of my moves (and even have the last two from 2012 and 2013) which I was following. The AI started it's interest in Port Moresby in mid-to-late December 1941 with their battleship task force hanging around it and even going into Cairns. I also had a Japanese cruiser force try to circumnavigate Australia (which I intercepted and, after some mauling, sunk all but a destroyer).

The only Sir Robin I was doing was with merchant shipping, especially from PI. Other than that I didn't have time to do anything but hunker down and wait for the assaults to come.

So, as far as I am aware I haven't changed anything different from the last time I played (in 2013) but a newer version of the exe. So maybe the AI chose a different AI script to follow it never has before. Either way it is making me scramble and makes for an interesting game.

Sardaukar wrote: Wed Oct 01, 2025 7:57 am PM is "nice to have" but not crucial to defence of Australia.

You can concede it if you feel you cannot defend it. Basically, defence plans for PM should be started immediately from start of war. Especially supply and also moving all units from PNG, Rabaul etc. there.

I was actually trying to resupply and then reinforce it but the AI had submarines lurking around and the sudden appearance of a Japanese battleship task force hanging off Port Moresby and making a side trip to Cairns kept me from doing anything. This started in mid-to-late December 1941 so I never really had a chance to get anything organized.

Interesting game so far.

Doesn't the system have different scripts to choose from so the one you are playing today does not match the ones from 2012/13? Also I think there may have been some changes made to the scripts since then.

Welcome back.

Skyros wrote: Fri Oct 03, 2025 1:38 pm Doesn't the system have different scripts to choose from so the one you are playing today does not match the ones from 2012/13? Also I think there may have been some changes made to the scripts since then.

Welcome back.

I'm playing a custom scenario of my own. But, given that, I'm thinking that you might be correct about different scripts to choose from and it might be one I never experienced before.

There are different AI scripts that are loaded when you start the scenario. You can eliminate some of them or move them elsewhere so there would be only one script to choose from, then you could go through each script in a new game for a different experience. The script for the game may be one that emphasizes Port Moresby earlier than other scripts.