Matrix Games Forums

Okay... BossGnome don't read this thread...

This will be my AAR of the game I play vs BossGnome. He is Japan, I am Allies, we're in October 1942.

Now what will make this AAR different from myriad other AARs, and why would you want to read it?

Perhaps the fact that part of me hated this game, and I decided to start writing the AAR as some sort of therapy. I am third or fourth in the line of Allied commanders in this game. BossGnome started the game many months ago, but he had couple Allied opponents (2 or 3 I am not sure) quit on him. He persisted – admirable quality – and found a replacement commander each time his opponents quit. Last in the line of replacement commanders is me.

Now... why did I take over a game I said "I hated" in the paragraph above?

I love taking over other people's games – depending on the circumstances of course, but generally speaking I love the idea. I did it couple times in UV days and sometimes even had more fun with games taken over from other guys than with games I started. Taking over other guy's game provides interesting challenge, and is whole 'nother ball game than starting the game yourself (which is what I usualy do, of course). It's like playing scenario that starts, say, on 1st June 42 (is there such scenario in WITP anyway?) but instead of historical "snapshot" on June the 1st 1942, you have your own, ahistorical, realistically screwed situation to mess with. In other words, some other guy (not AI, nor history books) set you up with what *could have been* historic June the 1st 1942. If you get my point.

Also, obviously since the guy dropped out from the game, it is safe to presume his situation was not very promising, but not as bad as to warrant outright surrender. So there you have a special element of challenge missing from "regular" games.

Also, other side is obviously very willing to continue the game (as evidenced by the fact he is trying to find replacement opponent) so this is a good sign that this guy will be reliable as long term PBEM partner. As I said, I view BossGnome's persistence in finding new opponents each time someone quit on him as an admirable quality.

Now with me, search for new opponents ends - I will be the one to receive his surrender on BB Missouri in Tokyo harbor...

So... there were 2 or 3 Allied commanders before me, and from the very first glance I did over the map it was obvious how clueless they were, and why they abandoned the game.

I took the game as interesting challenge, but started to hate it intensely very soon after that, as I realised how much WORK I must put into this game, just to sort out the mess I inherited, before I start doing anything fun and enjoyable. I never told this to BossGnome, but I decided NOT to drop out from the game and give him another disappointment but rather to start an AAR (sounds crazy I know but bear with me). Start an AAR and enjoyment will come LOL [8D]

Whole Allied situation as I took over is best described by the title of this AAR – Bloody Shambles. Units scattered all over the place, isolated, divided into myriad small parts, some important units destroyed, places lost, whole setup just totally out of whack, and totally opposed to what I believe Allied main strategy should be. Bloody Shambles.

In this AAR I will reveal my plans completely, as BossGnome (BG henceforth) agreed not to read it (at least not until we finish the game).

I will also be cruel when commenting my Allied predecessors, but it's fair, since I will not name them (I don't even know their names, so it could be YOU LOL).

I understand why my immediate predecessor left the game – it's obvious he hit the wall and had no other ideas what to do next. He also suffered some very bloody setbacks, which will be explained in due course.

So here steps in ADM Oleg with his bad english and rude manners to save the day for Allies, democracy and the World.

OK, here is the review of the situation I found when I took over. Date was 22nd August 1942. Game is standard #15, played on standard stock map. Usual options. No special house rules. No PDU candyland. Submarines are put on Computer control – which I usually hate, and which I managed to miss somehow when I agreed to take over the game.

I will start the review with state of the navies and airforces, then go from Soviet Union and China, going counter-clockwise, finishing with Alaska.

This is extent of his advance, at a glance. But this picture does not even begin to tell the whole story so we'll go into more details below.

Scoreboard. He leads 2,5:1 in VPs. Unusualy high Allied army losses.

Navies, general

Major IJN losses: two of enemy best CVs, Zuikaku and Shokaku (this is the best news in the whole game, and perhaps the main reason why I didn't think situation is utterly hopeless right from the start). Also, Hiryu, one CVL, and two fast BBs are sunk. IJN lost four CAs (two Furutakas and two modern ones) and lots of their DDs. I don't know what major ships, if any, are damaged. Many many IJN subs are lost – obviously a result of playing with subs under AI control.

Major Allied losses: two good Yorktown class CVs, Lexington is very heavily damaged but will be repaired, 6 BBs – three USN and three RN, including PoW and Repulse (+ some BBs are damaged and undergoing repairs). Half dozen CAs, half dozen CLs... many subs but less than Japanese.

I would describe Allied transpost losses as moderate. IJN lost many transports – more than Allies.

Overall, many ships are lost – obviously many naval battles were fought before I took over the game.

Airforces, general

Very very huge losses, especially for the Allies. 4500 vs 3200. As one would expect, Zero is far ahead on the losses table, with 1040 lost (598 to AA), next aircraft on the list, P-40E lost 417 aircraft. So much for the dreaded Zero bonus...

Apart from really huge number of Allied aircraft lost, overall, there are no big surprises on this list.

Soviet Union

Situation: Not activated, nothing much to comment. Most surely, BG will not attack USSR in this game if he didn't do it by now. Forts and airbases are being built.

Immediate goals: Nothing.

Long term goals: Build stuff to the max.

China

Situation: Total catastrophe and utter confusion. The whole war could have been easily lost in this theatre. Chinese are holding only four bases: Chungqing the capital, Yunan, Kunming and Chengshu. 60-70 Japanese units are observed marching from Kweiyang towards Kunming, Chinese are trying to stop them in the open, with pitifully weak forces. Kunming undersupplied, badly defended, units prepped for some other places... Why did my predecessors lose Kweiyang? It is so much better place to defend than Kunming...

Also, some units (top right on the map) were isolated NE of Lanchow, out of supply, and unable to get anywhere. I would love to have option to disband them as they are utterly useless there.

More units (top of the map) are marching thru forest, at least 3 hexes away from the nearest road, not battleworthy and at least couple MONTHS away from civilisation, they are evaporating into thin air as we speak, and I DON'T see them on the list of "resurrected" Chinese units that would appear in Chungking 30 days later. Very bad news.

How did those units get there – is anyone's guess...

Imediate goals: Save Kunming from falling. If Kunming falls, whole China is lost, and with it the whole game. Send practically every available unit to Kunming and prep them for the place immediately, while they march.

Long term goals: Situation I inherited is very bad, and gives no hope of any offensive. I may try to build up airfields and do some limited air ofensive, but strictly on IJA Chinese airfields (but Home Islands are well out of reach). I don't think any land offensive will be doable in China in this game, and I don't thiink I will be able to wrestle one single base from his grasp (if he plays smart).

India Burma

Situation: Even though situation in China was catastrophic, I'd dare say India was in even worse state. It's just BG does not know that, I guess, otherwise he'd land one IJA division somewhere, and march all thru the subcontinent. India is best described as "shell". Defense is almost non existent as previous allied commanders shipped most of UK-Indian units to Australia (we'll get to that later). Whole Burma, including Myitkyina and Akyab is in Japan hands.

What little good units previous commanders left in India, they decided to use pseudo-offensivelly, but willy nilly, and in crazy marches on bad roads from Imphal, and along the coast, and those poor units are reduced to shells of their previous selves, destroyed by malaria, long marches and fighting. (Note units on very bad roads on the map below.)

There are two good UK divisions, and two solid brigades in Madras, and two solid Indian divisions elsewhere. Also a brigade or two, some understrength Indian units... Allies just received two Chindit brigades (my predecessors haven't had time to ship them to Australia LOL because I think they would be doing that had they had time to do so).

Imphal is built up as major airbase but I think it is very bad choice (I prefer Dacca). Many smaller bases not developed at all. Royal Navy is so-so. RAF is so-so (with some units shipped to Australia too, but not nearly as much as army). The "weight" of the Allies is concentrated in Imphal area which I think is very wrong. Units in Madras – I think – were waiting to be shipped to Australia when I took over.

India is stripped of almost all transport shipping, which is used in Australia. Offensives, for the time being, are out of the question. Hell even defence would be put to test if he'd land in force.

Japanese Burma is solidly defended. 12 units detected in Myitkyina, 10 in Rangoon, SIGINT places at least a division or two in Rangoon. Contested Akyab is held by 4 SNLFs.

Immediate goals: Finish the botched attempt at liberating Akyab, obviously started half heartedly by one of my predecessors, and resulting in two badly mauled brigades, exhausted by fighting and malaria there, and some base units scattered in nearby hexes. Extricate units bogged down on muddy trails near Imphal and along the coast, bring them back to populated non malarial places. Rest and replenish tired and undermanned units by bringing them to large non malarial bases. Bring units shipped to Australia back. Organize recon to get the idea of enemy dispositions.

Long term goals: Liberate Burma in some unusual manner. Take Andaman Islands. Capture, build and organise a base in Northern Sumatra to make IJA/IJN life in Malaya and Singapore hard.

DEI and Phillipines are completely in Japanese hands, so I will skip them over in this review. Two small islands nearest Australian coast still show Dutch flag – nice to see, but strategically unimportant. I see he has lots of units on Timor, obviously prepared vs any invasion I might be planning.

Australia/Southwest Pacific

Situation: My oh my... 85% of ALL Allied assets are in Australia, and are being HORRIBLY mismanaged. Sydney harbor has hundereds of ships, tons of BBs, transports... There is zillion land units all over Australia (and I mean literally "all over" including desert roads), scattered, prepped for ridicolously wrong places, tired, divided into many small parts, units belonging to all Allied commands except Soviet and Chinese: North Pacific, Central Pacific, SEAC, you name it...

1st USMC, the best offensive Allied unit on the map, is found marching aimlessly on some Australian desert road, towards Darwin (see pic in previous post - one of them units in the desert is 1 USMC!). 2nd USMC, second best Allied offensive unit was obviously part of utterly catastrophic invasion attempt at Gasmata, and is nearly destroyed there, along with a Canadian brigade and some air base units. Apparently, my predecessors went from PM, towards Buna, and further towards Rabaul (!!) but this ridicolous attempt failed, units involved in the operation (including 2nd USMC) were badly mauled and pushed back to Gasmata, and nearly destroyed there.

Allies held Rabaul for some time, as evidenced by the fact one of CVs was sunk "at Rabaul". Now it's Japanese mega Godjira fortress with 45 units there, so you can imagine what kind of nightmare this Allied expedition turned out to be (obviously one of the reasons why previous Allied commanders quit).

When I took over, desperate operation to evacuate units from Gasmata using air transport by Catalinas and sub evac, were underway. Thursday island was home to 80% of Allied Catalina fleet, flying evac flights from Gasmata.

As I said, recon over Rabaul reveals 45 units there. I really don't know what previous commanders were thinking, sending units there, as it is very obvious Gili-Rabaul-Shortland triangle is the best defended Japanese position on the whole map. (To tell the truth, maybe Japanese reinforced the area only recently.)

Thank god, PM is solidly in Allied hands.

North Australia (Darwin etc.) is built up, and has lots of units, including some US army divisions (+ already mentioned 1st USMC marching there), obviously previous commanders were either thinking 20 IJA divisions will land there tomorrow, or were planning their own offensives using Darwin as staging point (which I think is not the best idea). See pic in previous post.

Immediate goals: Rebuild scattered units and bring them all back to civilization. Every unit, not belonging to Australia command or SW Pacific command is to be shipped back to India ot PH immediatelly via Sydney, Perth and Brisbane (but it will take MONTHS to organize and materialize – we're talking about HUNDEREDS of units here). Same for ships and air units. When I remove all those units from Australia, it will lose like 85% of what is currently there.

Australians are 100% responsible for defense of PM, it is their bloody problem they are to get no outside infantry help. They may be helped by couple USN airbase units, as apparently Australians are sorely lacking in the air support department.

No offensives are planned in this area, though I will try to make my opponent believe I will continue crazy ideas of my predecessors, and make him think my next major effort is going to be in this area (while in reality nothing could be further from the truth). I will also try to make him believe I will use Darwin as base for major invasion towards Timor, althought I think this maskirovka is not going to be easy (he will see I reduced number of units in Darwin).

Long term goals: We will see, but for the time being Papua-Solomons area is home to best Japanese defences on the map. I will try to break his fortress elsewhere, I may try here later on if/when he weakens his defences. PM is built up to the max and solidly defended, and can be used for massive air strikes towards Rabaul, Shortlands and elsewhere which is a good news, but no such strikes are planned for now. If I do "hammer and anvil" operations, Australia and PM will most probably be anvil, not hammer, get wot I am sayyin'??

South Pacific

Situation: Whole Solomon chain is in Japanese hands, but not further than that. Recon reveals massive forces on Guadalcanal (25+ units), airbase and port maxed up. Allies have US Army division in Luganville + SeaBees doing some work. Two army divisions and air support Regiment + some smaller units are in Noumea. Two smaller Caledonian bases have SeaBees doing work on airfield and defenses.

New Zealand has starting NZ forces.

Canton island is filled to the brim with some infantry, many engineer, airbase and 4-5 CD units and tons of medium bombers (unable to reach anyplace, so obviously earmarked for defensive use). I have no idea why – it's like previous commander expected Stalingrad and Okinawa to happen here, simoultaneously. Hard to tell why, because nearest IJN base is Baker island – which recon reveals is empty.

All other South Pacific islands are empty, and that includes Fiji, Samoa etc. Some of those emptied places have been built up to the max, so obviously previous Allied commanders expected major invasions there, and were ready to defend them in force, or to base major invasion forces there. (A waste of effort in my book, as I never defend small South Pacific islands as Allies.) Anyway those places are now empty, and natives walk the empty, imposing port and airfield structures built by White Man and then abandoned, in awe. Cargo cults are rampant in the area.

Nanomea has AVD providing support for Catalina unit, to fly recon over Tarawa. There are 12 land units in Tarawa, some surface forces, and IJN is obviously building up the place into major airbase and port (just let them do so, any effort there is wasted as I have no intention to invade there).

Immediate goals: Bring most of hodge podge units from Canton back to PH. Bring all three Army divisions from Caledonia and Luganville back to PH, bring air regiment from Noumea back to PH. Use political points to make NZ free to take US place garrisoning Noumea and Luganville, leave all other places empty. Canton is to be defended by medium sized support base unit and one CD unit. Obviously, Japanese will do no more offensives there, if they do they are crazy, there's no point. I think 2-3 NZ brigades should be quite enough to defend Noumea and Luganville. I'll see if some Australian brigade or division might be taken to help them.

Long and short of it is this: ANZAC guys are responsible for their homelands, PLUS PM, PLUS Noumea and Luganville. They may get some US airbase units as help. Everything between Luganville and Palmyra is to be empty or, in this case, I'll keep base unit on Canton, to help air transfers on Australia – CentPac route.

Long term goals: Nothing. I will not attack Guadalcanal in the foreseeable future, and certainly not from the south. Also I will liberate Marshalls from the north, not from the south, so I don't need any bases here.

This below on the pic is Tarawa, Nanomea, Canton triangle, with some ridicolous forces commited by both sides. 12 units in Tarawa, around 15 on Canton, other bases you see are empty (Nanomea has AVD supporting PBY unit there). Baker is empty despite ship icons you see there.

Central Pacific

Situation: I have Midway, he has Wake. I have Hawaii, Palmyra and Johnston. Midway, Palmyra and Johnston have one small base unit each, and some Catalinas for patrol work. Apparently, this part of the Pacific was very quiet so far, and afterthought for both sides (as evidenced by places where major units sunk too).

There are only two army divisions in PH + base support unit, plus PH fort and CeentPac HQ, and nothing, *nothing* else.

Obviously Central Pacific was mere afterthought for previous commanders, as they denuded it of all units, and shipped them en masse to Australia. This is just totally 100% opposite of what I would do but hey... where would be the challenge if I found the situation 100% to my liking LOL

Apparently, shipping lanes went directly from West Coast to Australia, not even stopping in PH.

Immediate goals: Bring ungodly number of units (from Australia and elsewhere) and ungodly amount of supplies to PH, and prepare for major offensives in the area: Wake, and after that Eniwetok, Marcus...

Long term goals: Destroy Japan. I will have to take Saipan before that I guess, but we'll come to that in time...

No sense to post picture of Central Pacific, nothing to see... FOR NOW!

West Coast

Situation: Not much to say here.... previous comanders obviously paid some PPs to have shipped some of WC units to Australia (where else? LOL). One US army division is marching from United States pseudo-base to somewhere, accross the Rockies – why, I don't know (circled on the map below). Overall, I have two divisions in the US, and some smaller airbase units in each of the cities, plus one big airbase unit in SF.

USN CVs + RN Formidable are based in Seattle. That includes Saratoga, Hornet, Wasp... Lexington is very heavily damaged (sys 80+) and is being repaired (like, built all over LOL) in Seattle shipyards.

Immediate goals: Nothing. I will keep an airbase unit in each of the bases. I don't plan on moving "native" WC units elsewhere. New units that I receive, will be shipped to PH on regularly organised conwoys. Continue repairs on heavily damaged CV Lexington and couple moderately damaged BBs. Bring CV fleet to PH to support invasion on Wake.

Long term goals: Hey it's West Coast what should one plan for West Coast, just ship the newly received units from SF to PH, and distribute them further from PH. Receive and repair damaged ships as needed.

Canada

Situation: Canada is completely empty as previous comanders marched all Canada units to Anchorage (without paying PPs to change their restricted command!!). What a nice dirty trick... All air units and what little ships Canadians have, have been shipped elsewhere (mostly to Australia, although some fighter units are found on Canton island)

Immediate goals: Bring back Canadian units from Anchorage and use them to garrison their beloved homeland. Air units will continue to be used overseas (now that PPs have been paid for them). My opponent in Canadian BTW – he seem to have had no problems smashing Canadian brigade used in failed Allied Rabaul operation LOL

Long term goals: Play hockey and win Stanley cup + get at least one team in the NBA (without paying PPs).

Alaska

Situation: Anchorage is garrisoned by Canadians: two brigades, two airbase units and Canada HQ. All other places are empty, units obviously being shipped to (surprise surprise!!) Australia. There is AVD in Kodiak, supporting Catalina unit there.

Surprisingly, some islands far in the Aleutian chain are fully developed (Kiska is level 5 airbase, level 9 fort) but completely empty – why? Japanese don't occupy anything in the Aleutians.

Immediate goals: March Canadians back to Canada where they belong, bring couple RCTs to garrison Anchorage and some other base against possible surprise landing. Bring 2-3 small airbase units to re-populate some bases along the Aleutian chain, to support Catalina operations.

Long term goals: Not much, keep on patrols against any possible IJN surprises.

OK, so if you read the previous review, you know my immediate plans may be summed up like this:

- Try to defend China, which is in very bad position
- Liberate Akyab and build a base there
- Bring back Indian-UK units from Australia and prepare for some major operation down the road
- Move 80% of units currently in Australia back to India and PH.
- Prepare MAJOR operation in Central Pacific to retake Wake, and proceed further to Eniwetok and possibly Marcus.
- All the while, play "maskirovka" and try to make him believe my major plans are linked to Australia one way or another – ie make him believe I will continue strange strategy of my predecessors.

Here we go...

Hope I will have mental strength to proceed with this and not drop out – this AAR is meant as tool to keep me focused. I need moral support from Allied fanbois here, it's not going to be easy, situation I took over is seriously screwed up.

Next update to this thread will be posted in a couple days, and I will explain what happened during the September 42.

Okay, that was the situation on 22nd Aug 42 when I took over the Allied side.

We played thru 1,5 months since then, and in following posts I will describe what happened in that period. In short, I finished consolidating my position, and game is slowly beginning to take off, and is starting to become truely enjoayble (for me that is).

O.