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Since I play almost exclusively Allies vs Japan (and against AI too, yes, I'm cheap ) , these may not help Japanese player as much, but anyway I think general layout is helpful for discussion .

Some steps I recommend:

Pre-attack option is to adjust HQ Target and HQ location appropriately, but that can lead to AI Japanese getting hint what you are doing and bringing in something nasty, like multiple CV TF in 1942..ouch .

Start with using SIGINT about Army and Air units in location. Then start to build up invasion force:

1. Bring in Carrier TF first, bring 2 CV TFs if you can. Bring in BIG CV TFs, never use TF with less than equivivalent of 3 CVs in one TF as allied. You need maximum CAP against Japanese in 1942-43. In 1944 you *may* pull through with superior training and planes with 2. When preparing location for invasion, use Move Option (1-2 is OK)-Commander's Decision-Land Units. If you have 2 CV TFs, latter may have option to target TFs, if you worry about enemy CVs. (And if you do, it may be better not to invade, but provoke Carrier battle in first place).
Always have Admirals with best possible combination of Air and Agressiveness ratings commanding your CV TFs. Get Halsey and give him a TF. And don't bother with CVE TFs, use them to chew up bases you have bypassed and isolated. CVE TFs are toast if against serious enemy opposition.

2. Bring in Surface Combat/Bombardment TF. Bring 2 . Stack those BBs and CAs for pre-invasion bombardment. Surface Combat TF is most versatile, since it'll both bombard and engage enemy TFs. Bombardment TFs rarely do. If you have loads of heavy assets, have one of both, since Bombardment TFs do more what their name says. No Move Option for these, since we don't want them loiter useless on sea when they need to put shells out of gun tubes to disrupt defending troops. These TF leaders need to have good Naval and Agressiveness rating (less important with Bombardment TF).

3. Invasion Transport TF, single one (Cargo TF is not doing good for you). Composition depends of range from loading point to landing point. CLs, DDs, APDs, APs if long range, needing faster ships. Load those fast APDs with supply, not with combat troops, they cannot carry much men anyway..and you are going to need that supply on beach. If short range, you can add MCS loaded with supply or substitute APDs with MCS. And anyhow, don't spread you troops too much, if TF has excessive APs, load them with supply. MCS are slow, speed is life. Invasion TF commander should be (this I cannot swear to be true, but it seems so) Admiral with good *LAND* and agressiveness rating. (Don't bother with naval rating, they are toast if meeting enemy Surface or Air TF anyway.) This seems to help with first wave combat where you cannot choose a land leader, and is especially critical with combat on atolls where "only one walks away". And never attack anything without overwhelming odds. 2+ divisions is good mostly, preferably 80+ exp. They'll get trained . 2 TFs with separate commanders come in 2 waves, and that is bad for atoll combat...since both can fail. One strong is better than 2 weak ones.

4. Follow on supply TF, don't bother this with atolls, they arrive after either side has been evacuated of eliminated. If, however, your troops get beachead, but fail to take the base, this is useful to get them back to fight.

And ALWAYS assign good Leader to any important TFs..and pay attention to what kind of ratings those guys on higher HQs have..and change HQ leader and Air leader appropriately. They don't need to be stellar, but decent, when commanding areas of your main thrust.

Any ideas/comments ? I think there is lot of things to debate

Cheers,

M.S.

a couple of extra points

i try and divide by TFs under different HQ's. this spead out the PP use

i also will put the HQ that is making the ground attack under a admiral with good land experience and also the TF making the landing under a admiral with very good land experience.

daniel123 wrote:a couple of extra points

i try and divide by TFs under different HQ's. this spead out the PP use

i also will put the HQ that is making the ground attack under a admiral with good land experience and also the TF making the landing under a admiral with very good land experience.

Very good point about PP. Might be critical sometimes, especially when attempting 2 amphibious assaults under same HQ. Thus, more PP, the better, share the burden.

I usually form (when I have enough ships) first 2, then 4...up to 5 CV TFs, with multiple CV/CVL, my minimum composition is 2 CV+2CVL or 3 CV per TF. There is of course British one too, but I tend to use it supporting Burma/Thailand ops, same with Surface Combat assets. Very "pukka sahib" , but I dislike using Brits in Central Pacific and such

I usually have 3 major Surface Combat BB/CA TFs + the British one. I rarely use amphibious invasion with CBI theatre, so Brits be excused. I also have 3 Invasion Transportation TFs, each capable of carrying 2+ (preferably 3+) divisions. And those are the best experienced divisions. While I felt bad historically ditching 3rd Marine Div. from my *core* units in my last game (it dropped after 3 atoll combats to exp 63), strategically it was useful to replace with Army Div. with exp of 79. Your "core" should always be 75+ in exp while doing amphibious assault, no mercy there...or at least best you can get. There is no excuse for assaulting an atoll with 60 exp. division. One can also train those divisions as you can train AF and carrier air against easy targets, but it's not always so...sometimes ending up committing your best divisions for "trench warfare".
But, Invasion TF-wise, one's problem is not experienced Divisions. After some good combat, there are plenty seasoned ones. Problem is good Invasion TF leaders, thus needing to be good *land* leaders, while admirals. But they are there. And, remember, as I and daniel123 said, higher HQ is next in line. It may not be ideal to have LAND 1 in both HQ and TF when hitting Iwo Jima . Good divisions may carry the day, but with more kill points to enemy.

Thus, as Allied, bring in a Gorilla . That is, fight delaying action until you can turn the tide with numbers. If you have 3 CVs, don't split, but put them all under Halsey. Don't seek Coral Sea or especially Midway before your pilots are 80+ in exp. Hit IJN where he is not present until you have training and better odds. Use LBA to deplete his carrier pilots. When you have 4 CVs under Halsey with 80+ exp for fighters (F4F), you have 50-50 against Japanese. Remember what Rommel said.."Risk is something you can take, and if it fails, you know can recover...gamble is when you cannot".

Fighting Japan is best done historically, by better odds, machines and eventually better training. It's not good to attack before you have that superiority

Cheers,

M.S.

Againsy IA you can invade small atolls with no opposition (like Marcus for a start, then up to bonin and nearby). It will give you excellent bases to put your B24 when they are at hand, after expanding with Engineers.

you can also attack the aleutians and take sapporo ith few uits, IA won't counterattack....

Don't try it against human, it fails.