Once Again into the Breach - Mike (J) vs. tc464 (A)

[Mike Solli]

I'm planning Malaya right now and have been re-reading all of your comments. Here's my tentative plan:

Kuantan - 1 inf reg and lots of AS to get the airfield. Oscars there can cover every airfield in Malaya (except Alor Star) at normal range. The intent here is the airfield, nothing more.

Kota Bharu - 2 inf regs and lots of AS for the airfield. Lily and Sally are in normal range of Singapore.

Singora - 1 Tk reg for the dash to Alor Star. I like the idea of strat moving IG Div. there.

Mersing - Delayed Mersing gambit. This time I'll stay out of range of Brit air power. I won't invade until I have Oscars at Kuantan.

I'll test Soc Trang for the Kaga and Ryujo rendezvous.

Depending on Ted's response at pull the regiments at Kuantan and Kota Bharu and send them to Mersing in the second wave. We'll see about that.

Now to figure out who's going where.....

[USSAmerica]

Merry Christmas, Mike!  It looks like Santa has brought a chance to restart to put in your stocking.  [:D]

I'd go with the restart.  [;)]

[Mike Solli]

Merry Christmas Mike! It's been a perfect day. Just the 4 of us. Very quiet. The other 3 bums here didn't get up until 10am. Lots of time for me to sip coffee and plot (again). [:D] Luckily, I took good notes last time and now I'm familiar with where most things are this time. It's going much faster. Tweaking things as I go to make it better.

[ny59giants]

Malaya - more comments

Set your Nell/Betty to ground attack the troops at Kuantan as secondary objectives if he doesn't bring out Force Z to attack your transports. Set your Zeros to escort in these strikes. I did reload elements of the 18th div and ship it down to Mersing to head north to meet up with the IG div heading south.

21st Ind Mixed Bde at Hanoi can be RR down to Saigon or Camrahn Bay for use in Borneo or at Palembang.

Samah - TF 120 with 15 Nav Gds and TF 121 with 16 Nav Gds change objectives and are used on Borneo, IMO.

[Mike Solli]

Michael,

Great suggestion for the Nells and Bettys.

I usually move the 21 Bde to Haiphong and ship it to Borneo. Do you think it's quicker to strat move it south?

I usually use the 15 & 16 NG for lightly held/empty bases.

[ny59giants]

Mike,

The problem for Japan in the beginning is not having enough shipping, it is having enough troop capacity. That is why I convert a lot of cargo space to troop space. I use the Ehime (spd 12) and Toho (spd 14) Class xAKs so I don't have to micro-mange my fleet too much. I convert over almost all of these two classes. The problem is getting a base with a port size of 6 in the area. Expand Saigon or Camrahn Bay for this or send some of them to Hong Kong once it falls.

You can start prepping these two Nav Gds for Tarakan. The 21st for Balikpapan. You can pick the 21st up in Vietnam, but watch out for his British DDs from Hong Kong. [:-] A strong SC TF and/or your CVEs can cover the landings here.

I use those SNLF Companies for empty bases.

[Mike Solli]

Interesting. I usually use the 21st for Singkawang. If you use it for Balikpapan, what do you use for Singkawang?

I'm pretty much done with Malaya. I'm hitting Kota Bharu and Kuantan on turn 1 with the 18th Division and the Mersing invasion will congregate just south of Soc Trang. I'm moving 144 AS to Kuantan and 96 AS to Kota Bharu with 24 AS each to Singora and Pattani. In addition, a couple of JAAF Bns will land at Mersing after it's taken.

Now I'm pondering the Philippines. I want to make a para landing but not sure where it'll do much good. I might go after Cabanatuan like I did last time. Not sure if it makes any difference though. I think the main invasion will be at San Fernando again. The big question is what to do with the JAAF Bn and SNLF, which start in accelerated TFs. I'm thinking Vigan on turn 1 for the JAAF Bn. Then I can put 2 Zero chutai and some recon there by 9 Dec. Any suggestions for the SNLF?

[ny59giants]

Singkawang - You already have the III/124 Inf Rgt 100% prepped for here at Camrahn Bay. The 2nd Sasebo SNLF (AV 21) or the Yokosuka 2nd SNLF (AV 59) can go with the III/124.

Miri - The I/124 Inf Rgt is preloaded for Miri and can take the base alone. I usually add a few more ships and send a BF and Construction over. I'm not a big hurry as Boise has been known to get over to Miri if your don't bring a SC TF along and sink the whole transport TF is one battle. A delay of a few days getting across is fine.

Luzon - I like to land at San Fernando (AF 3) with the initial forces already loaded. I use para to take Aparri and Vigan. The two TFs assigned Batan Island go to Aparri. If you want to get a little more aggressive, land and take Iba. Why?? To destroy the 25 plane P-40 unit there as they cannot escape as there isn't a rail line into that base. You could go with a para each at Aparri and Laoag and the two TFs for Batan Island to Vigan.

[PaxMondo]

ORIGINAL: ny59giants
The problem for Japan in the beginning is not having enough shipping, it is having enough troop capacity. That is why I convert a lot of cargo space to troop space. ...

I agree. I get a bunch converting on day 1 throughout the empire. With the right port and NSY, you start getting these in 5 days or so.

[PaxMondo]

ORIGINAL: ny59giants

Luzon - I like to land at San Fernando (AF 3) with the initial forces already loaded. I use para to take Aparri and Vigan. The two TFs assigned Batan Island go to Aparri. If you want to get a little more aggressive, land and take Iba. Why?? To destroy the 25 plane P-40 unit there as they cannot escape as there isn't a rail line into that base. You could go with a para each at Aparri and Laoag and the two TFs for Batan Island to Vigan.

I also use this (San Fernando main landing and kill Iba.) Taking Iba on day one will save you a lot of Zero pilots.

[Mike Solli]

I never thought about Iba before. That's a great idea. Do you think Kanno and Tanaka are enough to take it?

I also like San Fernando for the main landing.

Michael, I do the same with Miri. I agree that there's no big hurry.

I always seem to have a problem with Singkawang. You really think III/124 and an SNLF can take it?

[Olorin]

I think they are more than enough to take it, if you land in the first 3 or 4 days, before he manages to reinforce it. Initially they only have 30 AV or less at Singkawang. I used a single naval guard unit to take it in turn 2 or 3. You can even do it in turn 1, if the house rules allow it and you have Kaga, Ryujo and a SCTF close by.

[ny59giants]

The III/124 Inf Rgt has AV of 41, but is 100% prepped. Add in the Yokosuka 2nd SNLF with AV of 59 and you have 100 AV to take Singkawang. The choice for an Allied player (I have played both sides enough since WITP days) is to reinforce Singkawang or Palembang. I go with Palembang.

Iba is doable if you send Kanno and Tanaka to take it. [;)]

I would focus on taking and getting Mersing AF to size 1 in the first week to allow you to free up Kaga and Ryujo. Once these 2 CVs are freed up along with your heavy SC TFs, I might just by-pass Singkawang and land at Toboali (III/125 Inf, Yoko 2nd SNLF, 1st JAAF BF, 6th Field AF Construction, 23 BF, 4 Nav Constr, 97 JAAF BF, 22nd Air HQ, and 9 BF). You can then march north to take Muntok. The idea is to isolate southern Sumatra and prevent any form of a "Fortress Palembang" from taking shape. The CW Air Force has already been greatly reduced trying to slow down your landing at Mersing. By going for Toboali your opponent will need to decide if now is the time to commit the Dutch Air Force to action now. Add in once this base is up and running there is no way those British Brigades that are at sea up near India can make it to Oosthaven to unload safely. Your greatest risk will be the Dutch subs getting in a lucky hit on your CVs, but have them in a Patrol Zone of a few hexes that allows you to LRCAP your transports unloading. Getting a little more aggressive in this area will catch your opponent by surprise. You and I are more methodical players, so this will work. [;)]

You have the II/124 Inf already prepped for Kuching and add a small BF there to neutralize Singkawang via sweeps or LRCAP.

[Mike Solli]

You guys have me stumped. I can't take Iba and land at San Fernando with enough force to take them. The only infantry I can see preloaded is Kanno and Tanaka (2 Formosa Reg) and Sasebo 1 SNLF. I can land at one place or the other but not both. I'm missing something.

Also, in Malaya, I'm having a problem landing at Kuantan and Kota Bharu at the same time on 7 Dec. The RAF is too strong. Maybe delayed Kuantan after Kaga arrives? I can get Kaga to Son Trang but about the closest I can get Ryujo is Takao unless I send her due NW past Jolo. I won't do that. Too much chance of running into Boise or Houston. I won't risk that.

I LRCAP Kuantan with 80 Oscars and 18 Zeros and what gets there is still not enough. And that leaves only Nates for Kota Bharu. No wonder I've stuck with a modified historical start. Sheesh.

Off to work. Talk to you guys tonight.

[BrucePowers]

Good morning Mike. I hope all is well

[Dan Nichols]

Why are you obsessed with the preloaded units? You can easily add more shipping and load more units, even for the first turn bonus TFs.

[pws1225]

ORIGINAL: Dan Nichols

Why are you obsessed with the preloaded units? You can easily add more shipping and load more units, even for the first turn bonus TFs.

Really? I'll have to experiment with that. Do the additional units actually load and make the first turn move on Dec 7?

[Dan Nichols]

ORIGINAL: pws1225

ORIGINAL: Dan Nichols

Why are you obsessed with the preloaded units? You can easily add more shipping and load more units, even for the first turn bonus TFs.

Really? I'll have to experiment with that. Do the additional units actually load and make the first turn move on Dec 7?

Yes.

[PaxMondo]

ORIGINAL: Mike Solli

I LRCAP Kuantan with 80 Oscars and 18 Zeros and what gets there is still not enough. And that leaves only Nates for Kota Bharu. No wonder I've stuck with a modified historical start. Sheesh.

This is my issue as well. Be watching this to see how it goes.

As for loading on turn one, yes you can IF the units are rather small and IF the port load capacity exists to load in one turn. You have several places where this is true, so you can amphib load units up. Watch the supply load though ... that can catch you ...

[pws1225]

Thanks Pax, I'll check it out.