The first few days...

[trajanus]

My first big scenario(15) and I'm playing against the AI(to get a feel for the game). I have a few general questions in regards to defense though.

I'm doing a good job of beating off the Wake attackers and my carriers have just gotten into range to hit the jap ships, should I send reinforcements from pearl? Like a the 3rd and 4th USMC coastal defense units? My only worry is the Japanese strike force is a bit to the northeast of midway and heading due west. I am unsure if they would pop down to wake and help out...

I read somewhere that defending the PI means pulling back to the inner parts of the main island and evacuating the smaller islands. I was thinking of gathering some CL/CA/DD's from various ports and trying to do some intercepting. would a tactic like that work?

My history of the war in china is close to non-existant, are the chinese on the defensive in dec. 41? or has the front gone static?

Thanks for the answers. Great game.

[GoofTrooper]

I have to second the question. I’ve often felt the most daunting thing when trying to play scen 15 (esp. Japanese) the first time, is trying to understand the current unit organization and strategic posture. Its like Yamamoto or Nimitz starting the war with amnesia. So far I've stuck to the smaller scen.

[skrewball]

I'm doing a good job of beating off the Wake attackers and my carriers have just gotten into range to hit the jap ships, should I send reinforcements from pearl? Like a the 3rd and 4th USMC coastal defense units? My only worry is the Japanese strike force is a bit to the northeast of midway and heading due west. I am unsure if they would pop down to wake and help out...

This is based on your playing style. The AI may ignore your counter-strikes or not. I would be a little leary of sending my carriers anywhere in the pacific unless I know th KB is on the otherside of the world.

If you want to reinforce wake you have to look at your situation at pearl. Who are you going to send? What is that unit's Fatigue/Disruption/TOE? Do you have to supply to send to sit out a siege? Wake is of little strategic importance (IMHO) in the beginning of the war. It is far from the supply lines and doesn't have the port or airfield size to do much. It's your call if its worth the risk.

I read somewhere that defending the PI means pulling back to the inner parts of the main island and evacuating the smaller islands. I was thinking of gathering some CL/CA/DD's from various ports and trying to do some intercepting. would a tactic like that work?

Just remember that Japanese land based bombers (Nells/Betties) are he!!. If you are anywhere within range of them, you WILL get hit. If you do want to raid the southern invasions, just make sure that the AI is sending unescorted convoys. If you tangle with Japanese surface forces those long lances will murder you!

Good luck with all this. It is a great game. I am in my first PBEM as the allies(despite having the game for 1.5 years now!), so I am learing how things are done as well.

[Terminus]

Don't try to do raiding in the PI. The Japanese have almost the entire place covered with Betties and Nells from Formosa. Pull your US ships out (one at a time, to leave smaller footprints) and rendevouz with your allies in Soerabaja.

[RUPD3658]

Here is a piece I wrote a few months ago:

Surviving the first 6 months as the Allies (Or Running and hiding for dummies)


OK, it is December 8th, 1941 and your fleet just got the snot kicked out of it. How are you ever going to manage to recover and achieve ultimate victory?

The road will be long but the first 6 months are the key. Follow the suggestions listed below and you will have a good chance of surviving and achieving that ultimate victory.

Above all remember one thing throughout these early dark days: You don’t have to win the war in the first 6 months… just make sure you don’t lose it.

PH:

First wait for the KB to leave. Before sending any ships back to the mainland for repair you must clear the area of subs. Put a few LBA units on ASW patrol and form ASW TFs to clear the surrounding waters. Then send the moderately damaged ships to West coast ports (Splitting them up to maximize ship yards). The seriously and lightly damaged ships should stay put.

Send the carriers South until the KB leaves then pull then into PH. Send out every sub you can setting Singapore as it’s new base.

West Coast.

Load tankers with oil and pair them with AKs with supply or fuel and send them to Sydney via Suva. This will avoid the Jap air units. Load everyone else up with supplies and fuel and send them the same way. Every LCU and LBA unit that can be loaded should also be sent to OZ via this route. Order several AS/AE/AR/ MLE units. Don’t worry about ADs.

Wake/Midway

If Wake holds send DMs and MLs from PH to mine Wake. Brining PT boats up also helps. Have the units dig in and wait for round 2. You may even consider fast transporting a CD gun unit up to reinforce the defenders. IF Wake fall do all of this at Midway. Consider moving an AS up there to act as a forward sub base.

PI

Initiate Operation “Get the hell out of Dodge” as soon as possible. Send every AK and TK to Darwin. Stop in the DEI and opick up oil and resources. You will have to move the oil out later but don’t worry about that now. Also evacuate every base force that is not in a hex with combat units. They will only get overrun anyway so get them out. PT boats and subs out of Manila and can harass the invasion fleets. Just before the curtain falls evacuate the air units to China or Darwin and pull out base forces and HQs by sub. The PP cost is almost nothing if they have been worn down. They will regrow to fight another day. Surface ships should go to Serobaja (sp) to consolidate. They will eventually go to OZ. Pull all ground forces into Manilla (4x defence for urban) and start digging in.

DEI

Don’t discount the Dutch. They put up a hell of a fight despite their obsolete equipment. If the real Dutch units fought like this they deserve our utmost respect. First sortie every sub and sent them towards Malaya and base them out of Singapore. They will exact a huge toll. Consolidate your air units into 1 or 2 bases so as to launch massive air strikes against relatively unprotected transports. Send the PT boats up to Singapore to help there. Like in the PI evacuate every base force that is not with a combat unit to Darwin. As the end nears pull out the others and as many air units as you can to Darwin. The Dutch recon units later fly F-5a recon planes. Take every drop of oil, fuel, and resources to OZ as soon as possible. All you need is supplies. You don’t need the recourses but you can deny them to the enemy. Use you consolidated naval units to raid forward beaches where transports are unloading then run for OZ. Use the MLs to drop a present before running to India or OZ.

Malaya

It is going to fall. Just make it take time and cost Japs. Immediately pull every base force and air unit into fortress Singapore and start building forts. Have the other units put up a delaying action then run for the fort. Use the Dutch PTs to raid the nearby beaches. Task Force Z is a must. Even though it is doomed to fail, politically it must be done. Pull any survivors back to the DEI for a fight there. The air units out of Singapore can eventually fly to China or to Burma to fight on. At the end use subs to pull out samples of units so they can be reformed later. Remember that South East Asia is not a restricted command so no PPs need be spent. Get transports and warships out under Operation “Brave Sir Robin” (Run away!) Make sure to take fuel and resources with you.

Burma

Sending Chinese units to take Hanoi can divert units away from Malaya and destroy HI. Make sure you have a path back to China.

India

Move everyone up near Dacca and dig in. Be willing to surrender everything South. 2-3k worth of dug in units will stop any Jap advance. Use cargo TFs to run fuel and supplies to OZ via a route away from the DEI. Consider moving the AVG in to help. Air units out of Dacca can harass the Jap advance.

China

Aside from a raid on Hanoi, dig in. Don’t worry about building airfields until you have level 9 forts. Spreading out your units allows for what has been called the “Cat herding defense”. By staying off the roads the Japs must either follow you into the bush or risk being cut off. Either one slows the advance and allows time for other units to dig in. Keep your fighters at your production centeres to prevent strategic bombing raids.

OZ

This is where you run and hide to. Build every airfield to it’s max before worrying about ports or forts. Concentrated air power is all that will stop the Japs. Move everything up to the Cairns/Townsville area as well as sending some units to Darwin to assist the survivors of the DEI. Don’t worry about PM until the front has stabilized. Even if the Japs take it early you can pound it by air and starve it out. Once the units arrive from the US you should be able to hold off any further Jap advances.

CV Units

Hide until you are even in number to the KB. Only use them for quick raids against shipping when you know the KB is far away and the LBA is weak. Lose them early and you could lose the war.

This is a general outline of what has worked for me. Any comments are welcome

[greg_slith]

That's great!! I'd love to see something similar for the Jap 1st turn(s). I keep getting discouraged trying to start a turn as IJN. My campaign vs the Jap AI is at the "it's all over but the shouting" phase and I'd like to start a PBEM game. Seems being the Japs AND against a human would be the most challenging.

To paraphrase Dire Straits: I want my War Plan Orange!!

[Mike Solli]

ORIGINAL: ecwgcx

Seems being the Japs AND against a human would be the most challenging.

Oh yeah, there's nothing better. I don't know why anyone would want to play the Allies.[:D]

[greg_slith]

Yeah! Winning is for fairies!!

[RUPD3658]

ORIGINAL: ecwgcx

That's great!! I'd love to see something similar for the Jap 1st turn(s).

The key to Japan is the hammer and anvil technique. The worst thing you can have happen is to become bogged down and lose the initative. Use some forces to pin Allied units in place then bring in enough troops to destroy them quickly. Then move on to the next objective. Decide what bases you need to take early to obtain air dominance in an area and seize them as quickly as possible.

I could tell you more specifics but then I would have to kill you. [:D]

[greg_slith]

Let's see...you can kill me OR a couple dozen Essex's, Iowa's, a couple thousand F4U's, F6F's, P-51's and B-29s can kill me and my digital minions...mmm... I choose You! My question is more of a "where do I start" thing. I know I should kill the Shinano and a couple of RoBoats. Change all a/c engine factories to just two types. But it would be nice to have a detailed players guide to the Jap 1st turn. I'm looking at playing it somewhat histrically (ie no invasion of USSR, WC, no major moves in China etc). So any help from anybody will be appreciated. I'd even let you kill me in a PBEM game. Maybe.

[Terminus]

Well, don't go to Wake, for one. The force sailing from Kwajalein isn't big enough.

[RUPD3658]

If you add the Guam force to the Wake landing it will fall on turn 1. Guam is unoccupied so it isn't a priority.

Expand Zero, Val, Kate, and Betty factories and either stop or convert all r&d aircraft. After a month or two stop recon aircraft. You can always turn them back on if you need more. Covert all Nate factories to Zeros or Oscars. After your a/c factories are done expanding double your armament factories.

Turn 1 I like to take Jolo and all of New Georgia. In the PI I land holding forces at Naga and Turagao (the one in the north west). If there is no house rule you can also land on the isthmus between Naga and Manilla to cut off the Units at Naga. The main force goes in at San Marcillino and drives for Clark. If you land at Linyegen you have to cross a river to get to clark and bad things will happen.

I use the KB vs Manilla on turn 1 and ignore PH. There are several threads that will tell you the pros and cons of this.

Now please turn around and kneel down. This won't hurt a bit.

[Terminus]

ORIGINAL: RUPD3658
Now please turn around and kneel down. This won't hurt a bit.

Won't hurt you a bit, you forgot to add...

[Feinder]

I'll just throw in a little here. In PBEM it's very different than vs. the AI. Rupd's advice is very good. Some tweaks of my own, specifically for PBEM :

SRA

1. I actually don't mass my SRA aircraft. Massing at one or two AFs means you get clobbered by Japanese LBA, or worse IJN BBs. I very much spread them out, and move them around a lot.

2. Because my planes are spread out, every AF that's a Lvl-2 or better is important. Your B-17s from Philipines can effectively fly from any Lvl-4. Your Hudsons and Martins can fly from Lvl-3s. Your Buffalos/Daemons/T-IVs can fly from Lvl-2. Don't "waste" airfield space/support by putting the Dorniers and PBYs at Lvl-2+ AFs. Fly them from the Lvl-1s (where you can't launch strikes from anyway).

3. "Share" the RAF in Malaya with the RDAF in SRA. Your RAF bombers can fly from the SRA when real estate starts getting sparce in Malalya. You can certainly fly them to Burma and fight from there, but just be advised that there will be a lot of targets in the SRA for them bomb.

4. If Baby-KB comes to play, pair up your Martins with some Brewsters or Daemons. You're more likely to launch if you're escorted. Who cares how many planes you lose, if you put a lucky bomb or torp into a CVL. Damaged puts him out of action for 3 - 4 months, and buys you time.

5. Evac the BFs at Lvl-1 AFs first. Initially, you'll fly your Patrols from them. But you'll need those BFs elsewhere (what you do with them discussed later). Your patrols will be forced to fly from the larger AFs, giving your bombers competition for space. But the patrol sqdns are small enough (only 2 - 3 planes), that you can usually find space for them.

6. I leave the BFs on any base that has oil or resources. The engineers of the BF, will act to destroy the facilities. Yes, they can be neutralized by bombardmentment, but that just means you're tying up Japanese units for 10 days while they try to neutralize you. In the mean time, find something else useful to do, since you know you've tied down enemy units in one spot for 10 days. Also, don't forget about DAF Av 1, and DAF Av 2. Those guys are worth evac'ing once they've done their duty.

7. With the Dutch BFs that you evac (again, Lvl-1 AFs first!), you have some choices.
a. You can stack them oil/resouce hexes like Palembang, to attempt to cause maximum damage to the facilities when they die.
b. You can turn Java into the Alamo (again, stacking in Batavia/Soerbja for oil damage).
c. Make Timor into the Alamo. From Timor, if you build up the bases, there are a lot of oil resources in range of B-17s. Then again, it will take a lot more than the Dutch to hold Timor if this is your plan.
d. Use them to bolster the air support in Oz (which will be under air threat soon enough).

8. I have no opinion on using the Dutch INF units. Frankly, they suck. They can tie down some Japanese units to kill them. But actually spending the points to convert them; I'm kind of moody about this. Spend a couple hundred points on converting a Dutch regiment to used elsewhere, or spend those same couple hundred points on a Canadian Brigade which is far better. Then again, if you plan on using the Dutch INF in Oz/Solomons, or Timor/Java Alamo, or Burma/India, they're certainly more available than the Canadian or West Coast units. And they certainly have a sense of urgency (convert them, or lose them). Whatever. Kind of depends on your opponent. But either way, but up a fight.

9. The RN, RDN, and USN in SRA. You're not that bad. Yes, keep your head low from Bettys, BBs, and Baby-KB. But other than that, you can be a real annoyance to IJN. You -know- where Japan is going (where would YOU go?), use that knowledge. Use your navy to make sure he doesn't get anything for free. You can't defend against the BBs or the LBA. But you can make sure that he doesn't send convoys beyond that umbrella. Make him escort his convoys. If you intercept a few convoys, he -will- start escorting them. This makes him commit ships to escorts, and slows him down. One-on-one, your navy is just as good as Japan (except for that annoying fact that you have no BBs, CVs or CAs). Besides Houston and DeRyuter, you can't do much vs. his CAs either (and he will outnumber you). Don't play with them. But your CLs are great raiders, will go toe-to-toe with his CLs, and will do just fine vs. his DDs/PGs (you have armor, they don't). Getting intercepts in surface combat (without getting clobbered by Bettys), can be a tricky thing. But with practice, bad weather, and a bit of luck, you can actually put up a pretty good fight. You can also hide within range of your own Stringbags/Vildys/T-4s. IJN will be (or should be) paranoid of sending in BBs and CAs against you, to risk having a torpedo bomber ruin their day.

10. You're going to lose the SRA. That's a given. Nothing that you do, will save it. Your objective in SRA is to simply punish Japan for taking it. If you can just damage some BBs and CAs, enough to put them in the yards for a few months, means they're NOT being used in the Solomons/SoPac/India against you. Maybe you got a lucky 250# bomb into Ryujo. You should have damaged/sunk quite a few transports. Again, your objective is to bleed him, however you can with "acceptable" losses to yourself (whatever you deem that to be).

11. And don't forget to bomb oil/resources on your way out. If there aren't any worthy naval targets within range of your AF, find an oil or resouce base to bomb. Every hit you score, kills 1000 supplies (either in cost to rebuild, or resources not produced!). If that's not in range, find an AF to bomb. Bombing his bases keeps will tie up a few sqdns flying CAP. And every fighter that the RAF/RDAF doesn't have to face, is a relief.

Bleh. I typed up a lot more than I intended. I suppose I could comment on SoPac/Solomons/India but it's time for lunch.

-F-

[Terminus]

Early on, it's actually more important for the Allied player to damage, rather than sink, the IJN's heavy units. It means they'll have to go back to the Home Islands, and their woefully inadequate repair yards.

[greg_slith]

Yeah, I've done most of this as the Allies. There is a lot of advise in these forums on how to beat the Japs, strange cuz it seems that if you get your but whipped then the game will be more challenging. I lost Enterprise and Sara in early 42 and it made me do thing more carefully. Cool. Now when it comes to playing AS the japanese most of what I read seems to be about mowing down China and crushing the Sov's or invading Ceylon. Again, cool. The info on where to go and with what is great. I think hammering Manila is a good point...kill those subs. I guess the whole prospect of supply, resources, oil, fuel, HI, Manpower, airframes, rikshaws, geshias, and which kabuki theatres to expand is the part that gives me pause. I could probably beat the AI as Japan but would hate to play a real human.
P/S how do I change this flippin' login name? God, I can be SOOOOOO stupid.