Land units and land combat

[Freddy Fudpucker]

OK, thanks to everyone who has replied to my other threads and other useful info I've found on the forum and FAQ's, I'm finally starting to understand some of the stuff I need to master in order to make some progress.[&o].

Now for something that I'm still totally in the dark on....

Land Units

I'm playing as allies and have a significant number of troops built up in PM and am planning to attack Buna. Recon shows circa 10k Jap troops in Buna (is this actual troop numbers or is it troop strength i.e depicting 100,000 or more?). I assume that a good proportion of this 10k will be support and not front line infantry. My subs are camped in and around the port of Buna and my a/c from PM and GG are decimating the Jap transports bringing in reinforcements and supplies.

Here's my big question(s):

How would YOU prepare for such an attack? What troop types and troop strength would you use?

I have no idea yet how suppy/morale/fatigue works for land combat (if its modelled, can't remember what info is given). Basically, what do I need to pay attention to?

[52nd Lowland]

ORIGINAL: Freddy Fudpucker

OK, thanks to everyone who has replied to my other threads and other useful info I've found on the forum and FAQ's, I'm finally starting to understand some of the stuff I need to master in order to make some progress.[&o].

Now for something that I'm still totally in the dark on....

Land Units

I'm playing as allies and have a significant number of troops built up in PM and am planning to attack Buna. Recon shows circa 10k Jap troops in Buna (is this actual troop numbers or is it troop strength i.e depicting 100,000 or more?). I assume that a good proportion of this 10k will be support and not front line infantry. My subs are camped in and around the port of Buna and my a/c from PM and GG are decimating the Jap transports bringing in reinforcements and supplies.

Here's my big question(s):

How would YOU prepare for such an attack? What troop types and troop strength would you use?

I have no idea yet how suppy/morale/fatigue works for land combat (if its modelled, can't remember what info is given). Basically, what do I need to pay attention to?

Try using your Lightning Recon aircraft to recon Buna and that should give you an idea of the mixture of land units ie engineer,infantry.AA etc.
In terms of troops i always try and get as may Allied Divisions into Port Moresby to allow you to advance up New Guinea.I would try a 2 Division advance up the trail to Buna as i prefer the sledgehammer approach,utilising the Australian forces.

[scorryuk]

Check out your INF units and see which have highest assault number. Every INF unit or 2 will need support in form of a base unit and always helps to have corresponding HQ within certain number of hexes. For attacking Buna placing it in PM will suffice. I have founf that sometimes it won`t let me unload TF directly onto port. So I would land on beach on nearby hex and march troops to objective. Made unloading easier and resupply. Beach would become temp. base. Once you have equal or greater number of troops in Buna hex start things off with large air & sea bombardments. Might not see massive casualities but will cause disruption, lower morale and supplies. Then do deliberate attack every turn till defences drop. ENG units will help with this. After several turns (assuming reinforcments didn`t get through!) you should be in a position for final push in form of shock attack. Can`t remember actual timing of final push, just had feeling it was time. More than a few times I`ve overun IJN bases that still had 10,000+ troops in them. Some retreated, most appear to have been taken prisoner or been killed. Cutting off supply and ensuring your own forces have plenty is definately the key though.

[AmiralLaurent]

First, air recons are not very accurate for couting ground troops. They only show you part of the units and you met have some surprises.

The number of men shown is combat+support troops.

Betst hing is to bring supplies and base force personnel to PM while you sent troops on the Kokoda Trail marching to Buna. Japan has two main types of fighting unit: INF Rgt (roughly 6000 men, Assault value 144) and then smaller units (800-1200 men, SNLF, Naval Garnisons, Cav Rgt and so on, all Assault Value around 20). Then you must send enough troops to have twice the assault points of the excepted garnison. Send with them ENG units with an assault value > 0 to destroy fortifications before the attacks. ANd send whole divisions with their HQ unit, it adds to the power of the unit in the same hex. Also if you have a Corps HQ in Australia, bring it to PM, it will increase the units efficiency in the area.

Just before launching the attack, pound the IJN troops with all PM planes for some days, that will reduce the assault value of the hit units to nil if you attack all days.

And if Dobadura is unoccupied, take if with a para drop, so the BUna garnison will have no place to retreat.

[Freddy Fudpucker]

Thanks for the replies guys,

I have engaged at Buna and have small advantage 15k vs 12k and about 4:1 advantage in guns. I have a HQ in the hex but from what I understand above its best to pull it back one hex and it still gives support/morale boost or whatever?? I have no combat Eng so I'm bringing some in to PM by fast transport. I had some inf on the way to Doubora to cut of any retreat, but Jap CVs showed up out of nowhere and sank the whole Doub bound transport. My planes all set to Nav attack decided to launch a 200+ a/c attack against a single AG at Lae instead of the carriers [:@]. Well, at least the AG sank...whoopie-doo[:(].

I've been sending plenty of level bombers to Buna. I started with ground attacks but yielded very poor results, switched to port attacks to hit supplies instead and low and behold I start inflicting ground casualties in much larger numbers. How does this work?

Anyway, my main struggling point now is understanding morale/distruption/fatigue etc. I've no idea how any of this accumalates or what impact it has in game terms.

Thanks in advance for you help on this[&o].

[AmiralLaurent]

Division HQ need to be in the same hax to boost troops of this division.

Corps and Army HQ have a range of several hexes and so may be based in PM and increase capacitiesf troops attacking Buna.

Port attacks will hit enemy supplies and troops but casualties are vastly overestimated and strike first non-combat units and only marginaly the combat units.
Ground attacks hit only combat units and as you see inflict few casualties but disrupt much of the unit. An air-supported assault is far more powerful than another without air support.

You can launch a deliberate attack to see the level of Japanese fortifications. If they have there and you don't have more than 0 to 1 ratio, wait your engineers and bombard Buna with your planes and ground units.

[Black Cat]

The more Air Recon you do the more detailed, and IMO accurate, infomation you receive.

I do Air Recon for at least 2, and usually 3 turns.

Some old players who also did a lot of Pac War also thought that the more detailed info would result in better Air Strike results but I am unconvinced on that for UV.

[CMDRMCTOAST]

ORIGINAL: Freddy Fudpucker

Thanks for the replies guys,

I have engaged at Buna and have small advantage 15k vs 12k and about 4:1 advantage in guns. I have a HQ in the hex but from what I understand above its best to pull it back one hex and it still gives support/morale boost or whatever?? I have no combat Eng so I'm bringing some in to PM by fast transport. I had some inf on the way to Doubora to cut of any retreat, but Jap CVs showed up out of nowhere and sank the whole Doub bound transport. My planes all set to Nav attack decided to launch a 200+ a/c attack against a single AG at Lae instead of the carriers [:@]. Well, at least the AG sank...whoopie-doo[:(].

I've been sending plenty of level bombers to Buna. I started with ground attacks but yielded very poor results, switched to port attacks to hit supplies instead and low and behold I start inflicting ground casualties in much larger numbers. How does this work?

Anyway, my main struggling point now is understanding morale/distruption/fatigue etc. I've no idea how any of this accumalates or what impact it has in game terms.

Thanks in advance for you help on this[&o].

keep pounding both port and troops as the disruption factor plays a key role in
ground combat also.
I have had to pound bases with 20,000 - 30,000 troops for weeks if not months on end
and then they still put up tenacios fights. ( especially without 2-1 odds )
WITP will be much harder to take bases with heavier losses to assault troops,
this being far more realistic.( and they will have a retreat benifit as well)

[AmiralLaurent]

ORIGINAL: Black Cat

The more Air Recon you do the more detailed, and IMO accurate, infomation you receive.

I do Air Recon for at least 2, and usually 3 turns.

Some old players who also did a lot of Pac War also thought that the more detailed info would result in better Air Strike results but I am unconvinced on that for UV.

Bombing results are better on a target that has been reconed the day before, but I'm not sure at all that sending more recons than 1 will increase the result.

[Black Cat]

ORIGINAL: AmiralLaurent

ORIGINAL: Black Cat

The more Air Recon you do the more detailed, and IMO accurate, infomation you receive.

I do Air Recon for at least 2, and usually 3 turns.

Some old players who also did a lot of Pac War also thought that the more detailed info would result in better Air Strike results but I am unconvinced on that for UV.

Bombing results are better on a target that has been reconed the day before, but I'm not sure at all that sending more recons than 1 will increase the result.

It works just fine, although it may depend on the experience level & morale of the unit. I just sent the PM Hudson`s to Recon Gili Gili. Exp. 68 , morale 70.

On the first turn they reported 3 ground units.

On the second 4 ground units with type, and Inf. Unit, a AA unit, a Eng. unit and a HQ.

On the 3rd. they ID`ed the composition ( numbers ) in men and guns of the Inf. unit, which was pretty accurate after I invaded.