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Any tips on playing the allies on Rising Sun?

This is my "plan" so far. I'm not too experienced in this game, and am still wondering what's happening most of the time.

Its Dec 13, and I've taken to falling back in the PI, trying to hold Clark and Manilla. Up north I'm setting a blocking force at Victoria Pt, and falling back to Johare Bharu and Mersing, while moving my aviation where I can.

It's kinda painful to watch, those pathetic Vildabeasts trying in vain to hit anything.

Should I be trying to protect any of my air assets? They seem useless at this point, so I've been doing naval attack ops on the landing TF's, but not too much happens.

I moved the PoW and the brit ships south for the time being - there's just too much air cover up north.

I am a newbie too, my strategy is, redeploy POW and repulse to PI, to attack IJN CAs, and use CA Houston/CL Boise to attack Palau...
IJN Malaya attacking force is just too strong...

ORIGINAL: Crimguy

Any tips on playing the allies on Rising Sun?

This is my "plan" so far. I'm not too experienced in this game, and am still wondering what's happening most of the time.

Its Dec 13, and I've taken to falling back in the PI, trying to hold Clark and Manilla. Up north I'm setting a blocking force at Victoria Pt, and falling back to Johare Bharu and Mersing, while moving my aviation where I can.

It's kinda painful to watch, those pathetic Vildabeasts trying in vain to hit anything.

Should I be trying to protect any of my air assets? They seem useless at this point, so I've been doing naval attack ops on the landing TF's, but not too much happens.

I moved the PoW and the brit ships south for the time being - there's just too much air cover up north.

Torpedo planes (Sworfish, Vildebeest, Beaufort, T.IVa) are the most efficient Allied planes in Dec 1941. Just put their maximum range to their normal range so they will only fly with torpedoes and not be wasted in bombing attacks.

Martin 139 are also efficient against Japanese transports. Other bombers (Hudsons, Blenhiem and especially B-17) are far more useful bombing airfields or troops (slowing and disrupting them) than trying to hit ships.

Regarding Allied ships, the best is to keep them outside Zero range and to LRACP them with Dutch fighters or Buffaloes, that will welcome Betties and Nells is they want to come alone. Gather all Allied surface ships and hit Japanese invasions not covered by BBs/CVs.

Retreating to Bataan/Manila/Clark in Luzon is the usual strategy.

The main word in WITP is concentration: bigger aerial attacks suffer less from AA and so score more hits and so on. Better to launch 30 planes every 3 days than 15 each day. So rest your units (so they rebuild morale too) in rear bases and try to use them in the same spot at once. Combine bombers with torpedo attack. The first are often unable to hit a ship... except if it has allready been slowed by one torpedo and they will finish to wreck it.

Zeke, I suppose you are playing against the AI. I have never thought of attacking Palau, in most (all?) my PBEM games, Japanese BB and/or CV are there very fast not to speak of Betties and Nells coming from Japan, Formosa or Pacific. And you have zero support. Using American ships around Davao with the support of all Philipino/US fighters seem a better idea to me.

I have found that sending the airforce after the Japanese in Malaya is not very productive IN THE FIRST DAYS OF THE WAR. This is because the AI starts BBs near Malaya and the biplanes spend thier time launching suicide attacks trying to sink them.

So I switch the planes to ground attack and watch the experience rise. After a week or so the BBs leave the area and I switch the planes to low altitude attacks on shipping. They quickly start to score on the AKs and APs that the AI will send to re-inforce the invasion.

You can do this to PBEM opponents too but its more difficult to choriograph

ORIGINAL: Zeke

I am a newbie too, my strategy is, redeploy POW and repulse to PI, to attack IJN CAs, and use CA Houston/CL Boise to attack Palau...
IJN Malaya attacking force is just too strong...

I've had issues whenever my CL's or BB's get too close to the mainland because the IJN airstrikes take care of 'em pretty quick. Instead, I have them getting a new coat of paint while I get up enough decent DD's for proper air and sub defense.

ORIGINAL: AmiralLaurent
Torpedo planes (Sworfish, Vildebeest, Beaufort, T.IVa) are the most efficient Allied planes in Dec 1941. Just put their maximum range to their normal range so they will only fly with torpedoes and not be wasted in bombing attacks.

Martin 139 are also efficient against Japanese transports. Other bombers (Hudsons, Blenhiem and especially B-17) are far more useful bombing airfields or troops (slowing and disrupting them) than trying to hit ships.

Regarding Allied ships, the best is to keep them outside Zero range and to LRACP them with Dutch fighters or Buffaloes, that will welcome Betties and Nells is they want to come alone. Gather all Allied surface ships and hit Japanese invasions not covered by BBs/CVs.

So are you setting targets manually, or just giving your air units a general order and letting the commanders find their targets?

Also, if you have a number of units with only 2-3 a/c left, can you merge them into one unit?