Against the Wind: Cuttlefish (Japan) vs. Q-Ball (Allies)

[Cuttlefish]

ORIGINAL: LoBaron


A few comments:
Is it possible for you to reduce naval ops to a level that you can strech your fuel supplies to the maximum without depending on DEI oil for
at least some time?

Yes indeed. All absolutely non-essential shipping has already been halted. And there's even an upside - Allied sub attacks against Japanese shipping have almost stopped.

Are you already starting to assign specific squads to future kamikaze action? Don´t forget Q-ball could still trigger it early inadvertedly.

Yes, I am training squadrons for intended Kamikaze use. The conditions have already been met for kamikaze activation - Jesselton is exactly 15 sea hexes from Saigon. But kamakizes will not activate before Jan. 1, 1944 regardless.

Any new fighters coming of the production line to at least keep parity in the air against 2nd generation US models? Having Luzon is great for defense, but
only as long as you have something better to stack it with than flying coffins.

This month I get the fabulous Rex! I actually had to look this beast up. It seems to be the floatplane version of the George. I start getting the A6M5 next month and in only two months I begin to receive both the George and the Jack, so better planes are on the way soon. In the meanwhile the A6M2, Tojo IIa, and Oscar IIa will continue to hold the line.

[LoBaron]

Damn I forgot about the ´44 activation. Half a year to go then...

Was the Rex intended for CS use? If yes I wonder if its considered gamey to let the provide additional air cover for your TF´s.
Good luck until the better fighters become available. I bet Q-ball will do everything in the book to keep the pressure on.

[princep01]

Having never played the Japanese, I have little idea how production works. How long can Japan fight effectively once oil imports are reduced to a trickle? It would appear that the game is very close to that point with Palambang and the northern Borneo fields under duress.

All the new airframes in the kingdom are of no use without fuel to fly them. However, I just have no idea how long Admiral Cuttlefish can draw things out on reserves and a little domestic and Chinese production.

[erstad]

ORIGINAL: princep01
All the new airframes in the kingdom are of no use without fuel to fly them. However, I just have no idea how long Admiral Cuttlefish can draw things out on reserves and a little domestic and Chinese production.

In game engine terms, airplanes use supply to fly, not fuel. It's an abstraction. (while one might argue "but it should be fuel", you're not going to use a ship's fuel stocks as aviation grade gas either.)

[Menser]

Sorry for that massacre of CV's CF. That must have been a tough turn to watch. What LBA assets did you have and how were they dispositioned, and do you think they could have made a difference? (I believe there is a 20% cap limit over CV TF's themselves). I imagine that this helps him choke the south china sea, so I was wondering along with Princep what measures are you going to take to preserve that preciouse HI and feul remaining. I imagine you're need for Merchant ships at this point will be quite low and can turn alot of it off.

[Cuttlefish]

ORIGINAL: Menser

Sorry for that massacre of CV's CF. That must have been a tough turn to watch. What LBA assets did you have and how were they dispositioned, and do you think they could have made a difference? (I believe there is a 20% cap limit over CV TF's themselves). I imagine that this helps him choke the south china sea, so I was wondering along with Princep what measures are you going to take to preserve that preciouse HI and feul remaining. I imagine you're need for Merchant ships at this point will be quite low and can turn alot of it off.

Merchant shipyards and armaments have all been turned off to conserve HI. All absolutely non-critical shipping has been halted to conserve fuel. I can hold out for quite a while this way, I think, though I think lack of fuel for my remaining warships may become an issue at some point. They may eventually wind up being based out of Port Arthur or something of the sort. I have enough supplies stockpiled to last for years.

[Cuttlefish]

[font="Arial"]If your bayonet breaks, strike with the stock; if the stock gives way, hit with your fists; if your fists are hurt, bite with your teeth.[/font]
- General Mikhail Ivanovich Dragomirov: Notes for Soldiers, 1890

[font="Arial"]‘Tis but a scratch.[/font]
- The Black Knight: Monty Python and the Holy Grail

---

July 2, 1943 – July 13, 1943

Allied forces continue to encircle Borneo; they now occupy the entire island except for Miri and Kuching. San Jose and Iloilo have also been occupied. The last of the stranded carrier planes were repaired and flown off San Jose the turn before the base fell and transport aircraft pulled out all the aviation support troops there. It was a small triumph but it was neatly done. I’ve had few enough things to be pleased with in the game lately.

Land-based aircraft have carried out port attacks against both Singapore and Manila. Heavy bombers, unescorted, were used at Singapore and suffered no losses despite heavy Japanese fighter cover. The battles over Manila have been more fierce, with around thirty aircraft lost on both sides in several attacks. I had, fortunately, long since pulled out all high-value targets at both ports, with the exception of badly damaged ships under repair. A number of small freighters, auxiliaries, and patrol craft were sunk, along with two I-Boats at Singapore, a pair of small RO subs at Manila, and a destroyer at each base.

Just to make sure that nothing was missed Allied cruiser forces have also raided Singapore. Some small tankers and freighters were lost.

Allied carriers raided the coast of Malaya looking for shipping but they too found mostly only small ships. Between the various Allied attacks I have lost around forty or fifty ships. Almost none of it was of any further use to the Japanese war effort (the subs and destroyers being the exceptions) but it has still been discouraging to watch.

There has been one naval battle during the period. While Q-Ball’s carriers were in the South China Sea I slipped a modest task force based around Kongo and heavy cruiser Furutaka undetected through the San Bernardino Strait. The task force pounced on San Jose, seeking to attack shipping, but instead ran into a heavier Allied task force based around battleships Nevada and Royal Sovereign. The resulting battle was inconclusive. No ships were lost on either side and both Kongo and Nevada sustained moderate damage.

Under the Sea: I-155 strikes again, sinking large APA Wharton near San Jose. The sub was damaged by the escorts and this time is going to Yokohama for repairs. I am not taking any chances on a Das Boot ending for this gallant submarine! Japanese subs have also sunk another APA and a pair of xAKs during the period; the two xAKs went down at the east end of the Torres Strait.

Allied subs have been very quiet, with one major exception. Battleship Ise took two torpedoes while en route to the Home Islands for repair, turning a short stay into a long one.

In the Air: I am building up a massive force of bombers, choosing to give Q-Ball a free hand now in hopes of being able to send 1000 planes against him in the future. It has required discipline to absorb the beating I am currently taking without striking back but so far I have managed it. And who knows, maybe the easy victories will make Q-Ball just a little careless.

The recent dogfights over Manila have convinced me of one thing: the era of the A6M2 is over. My Tony and Tojo fighters have acquitted themselves well but the Zero just can't hold it’s own against the newest Allied planes

On the Ground: a fresh Japanese division just reached Luzon from China. Also arriving safely there from Tokyo were some aviation support battalions, AA units, and 18th Army HQ. To the south an infantry division arrived in Singapore from Rangoon and has taken up position at Mersing. Construction troops have been sent to bolster the engineers already on Okinawa

[CapAndGown]

It is admirable to see you fight on, although it is beginning to resemble the Black Knight. I guess going to the bitter end can teach some lessons about the later parts of the war, although not too late since this is not going to last into 45.

My question would be: what have you learned that you would apply in your next game? What would you do differently?

[Cuttlefish]

ORIGINAL: cap_and_gown

It is admirable to see you fight on, although it is beginning to resemble the Black Knight. I guess going to the bitter end can teach some lessons about the later parts of the war, although not too late since this is not going to last into 45.

My question would be: what have you learned that you would apply in your next game? What would you do differently?

It's an excellent question. As it happens, I started a second PBEM (also scenario 1, against erstad) some time after starting this one. Because erstad and I are playing two-day turns that game has been slowly catching up to this one. It's now mid-March 1943 in the other game and the contrast between the two games is striking. A large part of that is because of what I learned in this game.

Don't get me wrong. I am not exactly running amok against erstad (we ended '42 with Japan up only about 2.2:1 in victory points) and he has taught me some lessons as well. But the Japanese outer perimeter is still stable in that game and the Allies are just beginning to seriously probe my defenses.

Here are the main lessons I have learned from the two games:

- Fortify the DEI. Don't use regiments or brigades, use divisions at key locations. Send lots of engineers there early and dig, dig, dig.

- Strong points in the DEI are easily bypassed without a well thought out net of air bases. Japan gets a limited number of aviation support brigades and air HQs. Placement of these units is key to any defense and must be carefully planned.

- The best defense of the DEI is a strong offense. Attacking Australia is a must. I really don't think that wide-scale landings need to be attempted. In fact, I would argue that any player who over-commits in attacking Australia risks shortening the lifespan of his empire. But Australia needs to be raided, harrassed, and kept under as much pressure as possible.

Regarding this, I've about decided that Darwin is a secondary target at best. A Darwin isolated by Japanese control of the coast to the south (easy to do) and the Torres Strait (also easy to do) is worthless to the Allied player. Port Hedland, on the other hand, is a wonderful target for the Japanese. It can be quickly built into a major base, is very, very difficult to attack overland, and does a wonderful job of screening Timor.

- Push the Allies hard in the early going. Keep striking deep into their territory, don't let them get comfortable setting up counter-attacks and ambushes. Smash forward air bases with bombardment task forces, raid likely staging areas with fast SCTFs and carriers.

- Take Java as quickly as possible, or even quicker. Java fell in about a week in real life. That will never happen in this game, even if you bring in three times the forces that Japan actually did. Don't let the hapless Dutch troops gain experience and build forts. If they do they can hold out a long time in their light urban and mountain bases, costing Japan time it can't afford.

- Get serious about shipping fuel and oil right from the start. Use the same amount of care and planning with your tankers and oilers as with your carriers and battleships.

Those are the highlights, anyway. I could come up with a much longer list and probably will when this game is over. Which will not be as far in the future as I would like.

[LoBaron]

Cuttlefish, if you got the time, could you post a screen of the strategic map?

Btw, I know myself that its tough not defending your assets with fighters but I am always surprized how well fortified troops can hold out against
arial bombardement. The fun is, that in fact the initiative is yours if you do it right. Jump him where you can and leave the sky to those pesky
P-47s and sisters if you can´t or want to gather strenght to jump him again. Probably now the time is not right yet but this style of combat can pull some Allied nerves... [;)]

LRCAP is your friend here.

[jonreb31]

Great points Cuttlefish, especially how the best way to defend the DEI is to be offensive and stop the allies from having an easy leap board. I'm interested though, now that you've experienced such a challenging fight in the DEI which network of bases do you think are the most important to build up for future games, in case the uninvited imperialists manage to batter their way into the DEI? It really is a nasty way for the Allies to significantly shorten Japan's lifespan.

[FatR]

Taking Port Hedland is a great tip. I'm currently planning my own Japanese offensive in a new PBEM and experiences taught me that a Darwin operation is either costly or time-consuming, and either demands large diversion from main goals in Phase 1, or all-out effort later, if Allies reinforce. Port Hedland should serve as a forefield for DEI just as well, and with much less force commitment to take or hold.

As a side note, I believe, that Eastern DEI is a relatively good place to hold Allied middle-game offensive, unless Allies get a strong bridgehead there early, as they did in this game. If the theater is properly prepared, both IJNAF and IJAAF can easily bring their weight to bear from multiple mutually supporting airbases. Note that in Canoerebel's AAR Japanese defenses in DEI only started to collapse when Allied advance to Burma-Indochina tied up large Japanese troop contingents and Miller was apparently left unable to garrizon several key bases.

[Miller]

I think once the Allies get a toe-hold in the DEI they become almost impossible to dislodge. Therefore I would seriously consider taking all of Northern Austraila as a buffer early as possible in any future game.

There are just too many small bases north of Darwin that can built up into major bases in a matter of weeks, and the Japs dont have enough troops to garrison them all.

Another tip is do not overbuild airbases. It is better to have four or five level 4 sized mutually supporting airfileds than two or three level 6 or 7. Regardless of size, once the Allied 4Es show up it only takes one big raid to close an airbase followed by smaller strikes every other day to keep it closed, I know this from bitter experience!

[Speedysteve]

Hi CF,
 
Been busy with RL for the past few months but getting caught up now.Amazed to see what's happened over the past 6 months game time! Wow. A series of incredible battles. Some major tidbits and lessons for us all to learn here.
 
Best of luck!

[Canoerebel]

I agree with Cuttlefish's comments about Darwin assuming that Darwin can't draw massive supply overland through Alice Springs.  If Darwin can't then Darwin will be largely irrelevant until the Allies can send in big supply convoys, and that won't occur while the Japanese are powerful and holding the Torres Strait (Merauke) and Port Headland.  If the Japanese succeed in keeping this area stable well into '43 they should be in good shape.
 
But if the Allies can draw supply to Darwin, or if the Japanese don't "neuter" Darwin by holding both flanks and strongly building a defensive network, then Darwin can become the single most important city on the map for the Allies - a level nine airfield and level six port is more than adequate to serve as the beginning point for the conquest of Japan.

[Speedysteve]

I think you're right Canoerebel....it's especially great since it will be a massive unsinkable aircraft carrier that can doominate a big enough local region to facilitate 'springboarding'! As others have mentioned once the Allied springboard has a toehold that's normally the beginning of the end........

[FatR]

In my experience, Allies can't. Under the latest patch very little, if any, supply flows overland to Darwin.

[Panther Bait]

Cuttlefish,

Now that the oil/fuel is mostly cut off from the DEI, have you decided on where and how much to defend the South China Sea/Gulf of Siam? I would think Singapore, for example, serves little to no purpose once you can't get oil out of Palembang.

Mike

[Cuttlefish]

ORIGINAL: Miller

I think once the Allies get a toe-hold in the DEI they become almost impossible to dislodge. Therefore I would seriously consider taking all of Northern Austraila as a buffer early as possible in any future game.

There are just too many small bases north of Darwin that can built up into major bases in a matter of weeks, and the Japs dont have enough troops to garrison them all.

Another tip is do not overbuild airbases. It is better to have four or five level 4 sized mutually supporting airfileds than two or three level 6 or 7. Regardless of size, once the Allied 4Es show up it only takes one big raid to close an airbase followed by smaller strikes every other day to keep it closed, I know this from bitter experience!

I agree that once the Allies get established they are likely in the DEI to stay. And further, from there they will slowly overrun the region. But the longer this takes the Allies the better for Japan. For all of Q-Ball's success in the area the campaign there has still taken him nine months. I would much rather be fighting in the DEI in the middle of '44 instead of the middle of '43, for sure. By later in the war Japan should have good stocks of oil and fuel and it's a long way to the Home Islands. At that point I would think that the balance of space versus time that is at the heart of every game of WITP/AE begins to favor Japan. Miller and Canoerebel may have better insights into that than I do, though.

Not overbuilding a few air bases but spreading the bases around sounds like a good tip, one confirmed by my own experience.

[Cuttlefish]

ORIGINAL: Panther Bait

Cuttlefish,

Now that the oil/fuel is mostly cut off from the DEI, have you decided on where and how much to defend the South China Sea/Gulf of Siam? I would think Singapore, for example, serves little to no purpose once you can't get oil out of Palembang.

Mike

That area is going to be very hard for me to defend - I just don't have many troops there - though the Allies are going to really have to work at it if they want to get into Singapore itself, or Palembang. Frankly, though, I would like it if Q-Ball made this area his next target. It would buy me some time. Much-needed Japanese ground reinforcements don't really start to arrive until late in '43, and of course I will have kamikazes available at the start of '44. If Q-Ball turns aggressively north right now he might well be close to completely destroying me by then.

I can see one compelling reason for Q-Ball to attack in the South China Sea area, however. He probably really needs a shipyard in the region. Saigon can't take capital ships but Singapore and Soerabaja can. That may give him sufficient reason to try and capture one or the other.